Learn About Leydig Cell Hypoplasia
Leydig cell hypoplasia is a condition that affects male sexual development. It is characterized by underdevelopment (hypoplasia) of Leydig cells in the testes. Leydig cells secrete male sex hormones (androgens) that are important for normal male sexual development before birth and during puberty.
Mutations in the LHCGR gene cause Leydig cell hypoplasia. The LHCGR gene provides instructions for making a protein called the luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin receptor. Receptor proteins have specific sites into which certain other proteins, called ligands, fit like keys into locks. Together, ligands and their receptors trigger signals that affect cell development and function.
Leydig cell hypoplasia is a rare disorder; its prevalence is unknown.
This condition is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, which means both copies of the gene in each cell have mutations. The parents of an individual with an autosomal recessive condition each carry one copy of the mutated gene, but they typically do not show signs and symptoms of the condition.
Jie Qiao practices in Haidian, China. Qiao is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Leydig Cell Hypoplasia. Their top areas of expertise are Infertility, Ovarian Cysts, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Thrombectomy, and Oophorectomy.
Ana Latronico practices in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Ms. Latronico is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Leydig Cell Hypoplasia. Her top areas of expertise are Precocious Puberty, Leydig Cell Hypoplasia, Isolated Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism, Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism, and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
Shady Grove Fertility - Chesterbrook
Russell Hayden, M.D., is a urologist with a sub-specialty in male infertility and microsurgery. It was during his graduate studies in biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University where Dr. Hayden’s drive to work in an impactful field of medicine where technology, precision, and creative problem solving align manifested. Dr. Hayden then earned his medical degree from Harvard University. He remained in Massachusetts to pursue his residencies in general surgery and urology from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Dr. Hayden then completed his fellowship in reproductive medicine and microsurgery at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York. Coming from a family of tradesmen, Dr. Hayden takes pride in the levels of problem-solving urology requires, including the intricate and skill-heavy type of microsurgery that requires manipulation of tissue at magnifications as high as 25-fold, often with sutures finer than a human hair. Dr. Hayden is a member of the American Urological Association, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the Society for Male Reproduction and Urology, the Society for the Study of Male Reproduction, and the New York Academy of Sciences. He has published papers, written chapters, and presented several topics, including vestibular prostheses, azoospermia, metastatic prostate cancer, and more. Dr. Hayden joined Shady Grove Fertility’s Center for Male Fertility in 2021, and currently sees patients at the Chesterbrook, PA and Towson, MD, offices, as well as additional SGF Pennsylvania locations. Originally trained as an electrical engineer, Dr. Hayden enjoys making small robots and other toys with his two sons in his garage in his spare time as well as spending family time outdoors. Dr. Hayden is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Leydig Cell Hypoplasia. His top areas of expertise are Sertoli Cell-Only Syndrome, Infertility, Klinefelter Syndrome, Vasectomy, and Ureteroscopy.
Published Date: April 01, 2010
Published By: National Institutes of Health