Endocrine Abstracts

Many common reproductive disorders are due to hypothalamic dysfunction but we have not previously had a mechanism to directly assess this. Kisspeptin can be used as novel diagnostic tool to evaluate hypothalamic dysfunction in reproductive disorders and aid in reaching an accurate diagnosis. Many current reproductive disorders have overlapping features and rely on exclusion of other causes. This is challenging in practice leading to delayed and inaccurate diagnosis. I will highlight how differentiating common reproductive disorders can be challenging, for example polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can frequently be confused with functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea at low body weights, and with obesity-related hypogonadism at higher body weights. Kisspeptin can also help differentiate congenital from functional forms of hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. Using kisspeptin to evaluate hypothalamic dysfunction in reproductive disorders could enable rapid accurate diagnosis and prompter institution of appropriate management.