Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH), Male
The AMH test in males measures serum anti-Müllerian hormone, a Sertoli-cell product that confirms testicular presence, reflects Sertoli-cell number and maturity, and declines sharply at puberty. It is used to investigate cryptorchidism and disorders of sex development, assess pubertal progression and testicular reserve, and monitor gonadal function after injury or treatment.
1
Biomarkers
Blood (serum)
Sample
3–5 business days
Turnaround
No
Fasting
What is the AMH (Male) test?
The Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) test in males measures the serum concentration of a Sertoli-cell product that reflects testicular tissue presence, Sertoli-cell number, and the degree of Sertoli-cell maturation. In paediatric endocrinology it is a key tool for investigating disorders of sex development, cryptorchidism, and ambiguous genitalia, because AMH is secreted by functioning testicular tissue and can confirm the presence of testes even when they are not palpable or when imaging is inconclusive. Beyond the neonatal and prepubertal period, AMH helps assess pubertal progression and testicular reserve. Because AMH falls sharply at puberty in response to rising intratesticular testosterone, a persistently elevated level in an adolescent may indicate delayed puberty, androgen insensitivity, or Sertoli-cell-only syndrome, while very low or undetectable AMH in a prepubertal child suggests anorchia or severe testicular damage. Practitioners order this test when physical examination, karyotype, or imaging raises questions about gonadal function that a simple testosterone or LH measurement cannot resolve.
What does the AMH (Male) test measure?
Anti-Müllerian hormone is a dimeric glycoprotein member of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily secreted by Sertoli cells of the testis. In male foetal development AMH causes regression of the Müllerian ducts, the anlagen of the uterus and fallopian tubes, during the critical window around 8–10 weeks' gestation. After birth and through childhood AMH remains constitutively secreted by immature Sertoli cells at high concentrations; at puberty, under the influence of intratesticular testosterone, Sertoli cells mature and AMH secretion falls sharply to the lower adult male range, where it remains relatively stable into later life.
In boys and men AMH serves as a functional marker of Sertoli-cell number and immaturity. Prepubertal levels are very high and decline at puberty, so AMH is used to assess testicular presence and function in cryptorchidism and disorders of sex development, to confirm Sertoli-cell integrity in Klinefelter syndrome and testicular injury, and to monitor pubertal progression. Very low or undetectable AMH in a prepubertal boy suggests absent or severely damaged testicular tissue, while persistently high levels in an adolescent may signal delayed puberty or androgen insensitivity.
Why is the AMH (Male) test ordered?
- Evaluation of non-palpable testes or cryptorchidism in infants and boys, to distinguish anorchia from undescended but present testes
- Assessment of disorders of sex development and ambiguous genitalia, where AMH helps confirm testicular tissue and guide assignment decisions
- Investigation of delayed or precocious puberty, interpreted with testosterone, LH, FSH, and Tanner staging to assess Sertoli-cell maturation
- Work-up of suspected Klinefelter syndrome or other causes of primary hypogonadism, where AMH reflects residual Sertoli-cell function
- Monitoring testicular function after chemotherapy, radiation, torsion, or trauma, because Sertoli cells may recover or remain impaired
- Differential diagnosis of azoospermia or severe oligospermia in adults, where very low AMH may suggest Sertoli-cell-only syndrome
- Baseline assessment before orchidopexy or testicular surgery, to document pre-operative gonadal function
- Follow-up of boys with a history of congenital adrenal hyperplasia or androgen insensitivity, where AMH tracks testicular reserve independently of androgen effects
Sample collection and turnaround
Sample type
Blood (serum)
Fasting required
No
Collection method
Venipuncture at patient service centre
Turnaround
3–5 business days
Collection notes
Phlebotomy via Quest or Access Medical Laboratories draw site; no special preparation. AMH does not require fasting and shows minimal diurnal variation in males, so timing of the draw is not critical. Record the patient's age and pubertal stage at the time of collection for interpretation.
Specimen requirements
Minimum 0.5 mL serum (gel separator acceptable). Separate from cells promptly and freeze if not analysed within 48 hours. Note the assay platform for serial comparability, as AMH reference intervals are method-dependent.
What can affect AMH (Male) results?
AMH is very high in prepubertal boys and falls sharply at puberty; age- and Tanner-stage-specific reference intervals are essential, and a result must be read in developmental context.
Different immunoassays and automated platforms yield different absolute values and reference ranges; serial measurements should use the same assay, and the performing laboratory's intervals must be applied.
Testosterone and other androgens suppress AMH secretion, while anti-androgens may raise it; a medication history is necessary for interpretation in adolescents and adults.
Severe illness can transiently lower AMH, so results drawn during hospitalisation or acute infection should be interpreted cautiously and may warrant repeat testing after recovery.
Exogenous FSH and LH can modulate Sertoli-cell function and AMH secretion; document all hormonal therapies at the time of testing.
What do AMH (Male) results mean?
Elevated
In prepubertal boys, high AMH is physiological. Persistently elevated AMH in mid-to-late adolescence or adulthood may indicate delayed puberty, androgen insensitivity (partial or complete), or Sertoli-cell-only syndrome. Very high values in a neonate or infant confirm functioning testicular tissue and help exclude ovotesticular or ovarian DSD.
Normal
Normal AMH confirms the presence of functioning testicular tissue and an appropriate degree of Sertoli-cell maturity for age. In a prepubertal boy it reassures that testes are present even if cryptorchid; in an adolescent or adult it suggests preserved Sertoli-cell reserve.
Reduced
In prepubertal boys, very low or undetectable AMH suggests anorchia (absent testes), severe testicular dysgenesis, or vanishing testis syndrome. In adolescents and adults, low AMH may reflect Sertoli-cell damage from chemotherapy, radiation, torsion, or trauma, but must be interpreted with testosterone, LH, and FSH, because mature post-pubertal Sertoli cells normally secrete lower AMH.
Note: AMH must be interpreted with age, pubertal stage, testosterone, LH, FSH, and karyotype. A single value without developmental context is often uninterpretable. The sharp pubertal decline means that reference intervals differ by orders of magnitude across childhood and adolescence, and assay-specific limits must be used.
Frequently asked questions
AMH is secreted by Sertoli cells in the testis and serves as a marker of testicular tissue presence and function. It is used to investigate non-palpable testes, disorders of sex development, delayed or precocious puberty, and testicular reserve after injury or treatment.
How to access the AMH (Male) test
The AMH (Male) reference page is free and open to all practitioners. Create a free practitioner account to see pricing, save tests to your list, and generate requisition forms. Verification takes 1–2 business days.
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Published: October 7, 2026
Last reviewed: October 7, 2026
- Rey RA, et al. Anti-Müllerian hormone as a serum marker of granulosa cell tumors of the ovary: comparative study with serum alpha-inhibin and estradiol. Am J Obstet Gynecol. (1996)
- Grinspon RP, Rey RA. Anti-Müllerian hormone and Sertoli cell function in paediatric male hypogonadism. Horm Res Paediatr. (2010)
- Josso N, et al. Anti-Müllerian hormone: the Jost factor. Recent Prog Horm Res. (1993)
- Lee MM, et al. Müllerian inhibiting substance in humans: normal levels from infancy to adulthood. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. (1996)
- Bergadá I, et al. Time course of the serum gonadotropin surge, inhibins, and anti-Müllerian hormone in normal newborn males during the first month of life. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. (2006)
This content is for licensed healthcare practitioners only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical decisions should be based on the full clinical picture and not on any single test result.