[Normal male phenotype or hypospadias and female karyotype. XX male syndrome in children and adolescents].

A morphologically normal 46 XX karyotype has been found in 8 patients with male phenotype, either normal (3 cases) or hypospadiac (5 cases) studied at age 1 month to 15 years. Five had cryptorchidism. Pubertal follow-up was obtained in 6 patients and showed that they had hypogonadism with small testes, and a mean adult height of 163 cm. The hormonal investigations gave normal results before puberty, then after the onset of puberty a hypergonadotropic hypogonadism. Testicular biopsy showed alterations from age 8 years. Studies using Y-specific probes in 3 patients have shown the presence of Y genetic material in 2 and absence in 1, thus demonstrating genetic heterogeneity of the XX males.