Total Testosterone

INTERPRETATION 
 
Total testosterone and general interpretation of testosterone abnormalities:
In male patients:
Decreased testosterone levels indicate partial or complete hypogonadism. Serum testosterone levels are usually below the reference range. The cause is either primary or secondary/tertiary (pituitary/hypothalamic) testicular failure. 
Primary testicular failure is associated with increased luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, and decreased total, bioavailable, and free testosterone levels. Causes include:
-Genetic causes (eg, Klinefelter syndrome, XXY males)
-Developmental causes (eg, testicular maldescent)
-Testicular trauma or ischemia (eg, testicular torsion, surgical mishap during hernia operations)
-Infections (eg, mumps)
-Autoimmune diseases (eg, autoimmune polyglandular endocrine failure)
-Metabolic disorders (eg, hemochromatosis, liver failure)
-Orchidectomy 
Secondary/tertiary hypogonadism, also known as hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, shows low testosterone and low, or inappropriately "normal," LH/FSH levels; causes include:
-Inherited or developmental disorders of hypothalamus and pituitary (eg, Kallmann syndrome, congenital hypopituitarism)
-Pituitary or hypothalamic tumors
-Hyperprolactinemia of any cause
-Malnutrition or excessive exercise
-Cranial irradiation
-Head trauma
-Medical or recreational drugs (eg, estrogens, gonadotropin releasing hormone [GnRH] analogs, cannabis)