Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
1-18-2022
Journal
The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism
Volume
107
Issue
2
DOI
10.1210/clinem/dgab687
Keywords
AMH; DSD; MIS; fertility; pediatrics
Abstract
CONTEXT: Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) was originally described in the context of sexual differentiation in the male fetus but has gained prominence now as a marker of ovarian reserve and fertility in females. In this mini-review, we offer an updated synopsis on AMH and its clinical utility in pediatric patients.
DESIGN AND RESULTS: A systematic search was undertaken for studies related to the physiology of AMH, normative data, and clinical role in pediatrics. In males, AMH, secreted by Sertoli cells, is found at high levels prenatally and throughout childhood and declines with progression through puberty to overlap with levels in females. Thus, serum AMH has clinical utility as a marker of testicular tissue in males with differences in sexual development and cryptorchidism and in the evaluation of persistent Mullerian duct syndrome. In females, serum AMH has been used as a predictive marker of ovarian reserve and fertility, but prepubertal and adolescent AMH assessments need to be interpreted cautiously. AMH is also a marker of tumor burden, progression, and recurrence in germ cell tumors of the ovary.
CONCLUSIONS: AMH has widespread clinical diagnostic utility in pediatrics but interpretation is often challenging and should be undertaken in the context of not only age and sex but also developmental and pubertal stage of the child. Nonstandardized assays necessitate the need for assay-specific normative data. The recognition of the role of AMH beyond gonadal development and maturation may usher in novel diagnostic and therapeutic applications that would further expand its utility in pediatric care.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
APA Citation
Kanakatti Shankar, R., Dowlut-McElroy, T., Dauber, A., & Gomez-Lobo, V. (2022). Clinical Utility of Anti-Mullerian Hormone in Pediatrics. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 107 (2). http://dx.doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgab687
Peer Reviewed
1
Open Access
1
Comments
© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society.