Leydig cell hyperplasia and the maintenance of bone volume: bone histomorphometry and testicular histopathology in 29 male leprosy autopsy cases

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to determine if osteoporosis in male leprosy patients is caused by testicular atrophy. Bone volume (BV/TV), trabecular number (TbN), trabecular thickness (TbTh), and trabecular separation (TbSp) were measured in two areas in decalcified paraffin sections of lumbar bones from 29 male leprosy and 6 male nonleprosy autopsy cases. We found significant differences in the average BV/TV measurements among the 7 patients with nodular Leydig cell hyperplasia (BV/TV 12.24%) and the 22 patients without hyperplasia (BV/TV 7.35%) and 6 patients without leprosy (BV/TV 12.98%). Bone volume was maintained in patients with nodular Leydig cell hyperplasia, and we determined no clinical factor other than the Leydig cell hyperplasia that reflected the bone volume. The osteoporosis of male leprosy patients was attributed to secondary gonadal dysfunction due to testicular atrophy, and Leydig cell hyperplasia appears to preserve bone volume.