The assignment of an individual to a specific gender, male or female, is largely based on the phenotype of the genitalia at birth, which is determined by the X and Y chromosomes. However, there are currently many other terms and concepts that have little to do with do with this simple classification. Terms such as sex, gender, sexual expression, sexual orientation, or sexual identity should not be confused. The latter term refers to how a person lives or experiences their gender, which may or may not coincide with their phenotypic sex. When a person identifies with their same phenotypic gender, we speak of cisgender, and when not, of transgender. Transgender people are classified into 3 main categories: trans men, trans women and non-binary (genderqueer, agender, bigender and gender-fluid) [1].
The present article focuses on trans men, those who were assigned the female gender at birth, but who identify with the male one. In Anglo-Saxon literature the term female-to-male transsexual (female-to-male transsexual or FTM in its abbreviation) is used.
Gender inconsistency or gender disagreement does not constitute a pathology per se. DMS V uses the term gender dysphoria for this "diagnosis." Gender dysphoria would be defined as the difficulty or disability, both social, occupational and other important areas of functioning, that arise from a marked inconsistency between gender of experience and the assigned gender. This experience must last at least 6 months in time, and at least 2 more criteria must be fulfilled in a list of 6. In our Gender Identity Disorder Unit there are no uniform criteria that must be met to start a gender reassignment treatment. According to the latest guidelines from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, Standars or Care (WPATH), proper care is needed from a mental health team.
Transgender people may undergo hormone treatment and / or gender-affirming surgeries as part of a medical transition. Trans men usually undergo bilateral mastectomy, hysterectomy with double salpingoophorectomy, and to a lesser extent a phalloplasty. WPATH recommends at least 12 months of testosterone treatment.
Trans men have a clinical indication for testosterone treatment, and there are few studies looking at its long-term effect and its effects on the breast and uterus, and the results in this regard are often contradictory. Testosterone is the key hormone in the transition of these patients for an adequate development of the secondary sexual characteristics of the desired gender. Testosterone can be administered via several routes: through daily transdermal patches and gels, weekly via subcutaneous or intramuscular injections of testosterone enanthate or testosterone cypionate, quarterly via testosterone undecanoate and orally. Regimens may be initiated at half the estimated effective dose and then titrated quickly to achieve physiological testosterone levels. Patients typically will notice signs of male sexual maturation (increased facial and body hair, muscle mass, acne, and libido), as well as amenorrhea within the first several months after initiating testosterone therapy [13]. The appropriate dose to achieve this may vary from patient to patient, but it should usually be repeated every 2 weeks to achieve good baseline levels [2]. We must not forget to provide adequate preoperative care and exams, equivalent to other type of patients, such as preoperative anesthesia visit. There are currently no specific guidelines on the perioperative care of transgender men undergoing hysterectomy; however, planning is necessary, and there are some nuances in this patient population that should be considered before proceeding to the operating room. Preoperative testing including laboratory studies, cardiac evaluation, and pulmonary function tests should be performed according to standard American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) guidelines taking into account the patient’s comorbid medical conditions [13].
Despite the fact that there are some studies such as the one by Dizon [3] that describes the association of ovarian cancer and testosterone treatment, only one case is reported, and admits that no conclusive statements can be established in this regard. They also suggest that chronic testosterone therapy may increase the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer. The hypothesis of increased risk that arises in the endometrium is based on the continuous, unopposed action of estrogens, since testosterone would be aromatized in this final molecule. Likewise, it would also be related to the ovarian formation of a polycystic aspect, although this is not shared by other publications. Similarly, there is no current evidence that testosterone treatment modifies the risk of developing cervical cancer, although there are more unsatisfactory cytologies [4]. Grynberg states in his article that long-term testosterone therapy causes abnormalities in the architecture of the ovary compatible with PCOS, both microscopically and macroscopically, as well as an increased risk of endometrial atrophy and fibrosis of the breast tissue [5, 8, 10].
Methods
We carried out a retrospective study with 117 patients between the years 2010 and 2019. The mean age of the patients was 34,228 years (range from 21 to 56 years), with an average duration of parenteral testosterone treatment until surgery of 5.69 years. All the patients carried out a clinical-analytical follow-up with analysis of the values of: follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizin hormone (LH), testosterone (TST) and estradiol in blood, both preoperatively and postoperatively.
The preoperative ranges of each hormone were: FSH 0.27–121, LH < 0.07–48.8, estradiol 29.74–183; while postoperative were: FSH 0.44–171, LH < 0.07–71.33, E2 5–89.
All patients underwent a laparoscopic hysterectomy with double adnexectomy between 2010 and 2019.
All patients were administered parenteral testosterone, in doses of 100 or 200mg every 21 days. The decision between one dose or the other was based mainly on the blood levels of testosterone, the degree of satisfaction with body masculinization, amenorrhea and hematocrit control, hypertension and lipid profile.