(There is also some evidence that premature administration of testosterone can lead to reduced penis size in the adult.) No additional testosterone is given during childhood, to avoid unwanted virilization and bone maturation. This usually induces a small amount of growth, confirming the likelihood of further growth at puberty, but rarely achieves normal size. Regardless of the cause of micropenis, if it is recognized in infancy, a brief course of testosterone is often prescribed (usually no more than three months). However, later endogenous hormones mainly have value in the treatment of micropenis caused by hormone deficiencies, such as hypopituitarism or hypogonadism. Growth of the penis both before birth and during childhood and puberty is strongly influenced by testosterone and, to a lesser degree, the growth hormone. Īfter evaluation to detect any of the conditions described above, micropenis can often be treated in infancy with injections of various hormones, such as human chorionic gonadotropin and testosterone. In addition, in utero exposure to some estrogen based fertility drugs like diethylstilbestrol (DES) has been linked to genital abnormalities or a smaller than normal penis. Several homeobox genes affect penis and digit size without detectable hormone abnormalities.

It is sometimes a sign of congenital growth-hormone deficiency or congenital hypopituitarism. Micropenis can also occur as part of many genetic malformation syndromes that do not involve the sex chromosomes. Of the abnormal conditions associated with micropenis, most are conditions of reduced prenatal androgen production or effect, such as abnormal testicular development (testicular dysgenesis), Klinefelter syndrome, Leydig cell hypoplasia, specific defects of testosterone or dihydrotestosterone synthesis ( 17,20-lyase deficiency, 5α-reductase deficiency), androgen insensitivity syndromes, inadequate pituitary stimulation ( gonadotropin deficiency), and other forms of congenital hypogonadism.

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