{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Klinefelter syndrome: The characterization of the clinical and sociological features of 51 patients.
{Author}: Mendonça F;Souto S;Dória S;Carvalho D;
{Journal}: Rev Int Androl
{Volume}: 21
{Issue}: 3
{Year}: Jul-Sep 2023 11
{Factor}: 0.66
{DOI}: 10.1016/j.androl.2023.100349
{Abstract}: Klinefelter syndrome is the most frequently found aneuploidy among male patients. Its clinical presentation is very heterogeneous, and thus poses a challenge for a timely diagnosis.
A retrospective study was carried out with 51 consecutively selected patients diagnosed with Klinefelter Syndrome from Jan/2010 to Dec/2019. The karyotypes were identified using high resolution GTL banding at the Genetics Department. Multiple clinical and sociological parameters were studied by collecting data from the clinical records.
44 (86%) of the 51 patients presented a classical karyotype (47,XXY) and 7 (14%) showed evidence of mosaicism. The mean age at diagnosis was 30.2±14.3 years old. Regarding the level of education (N=44), 26 patients (59.1%) had no secondary education, with 5 (11.4%) patients having concluded university studies. Almost two thirds of the sample revealed learning difficulties (25/38) and some degree of intellectual disability was present in 13.6% (6/44). Half of the patients were either non-qualified workers (19.6%) or workers in industry, construction, and trades (30.4%), which are jobs that characteristically require a low level of education. The proportion of unemployed patients was 6.5%. The main complaints were infertility (54.2%), followed by hypogonadism-related issues (18.7%) and gynecomastia (8.3%). 10 patients (23.8%, N=42) were biological parents. With regards the question of fertility, assisted reproductive techniques were used in 39.6% of the studied subjects (N=48), with a success rate (a take home baby) of 57.9% (11/19), 2 with donor sperm and 9 with the patients' own gametes. Only 41% of the patients (17/41) were treated with testosterone.
This study identifies the most important clinical and sociological findings of Klinefelter syndrome patients that should be considered when deciding workout and disease management.