This site is intended for healthcare professionals

account_circleSign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Aetiology

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The most common cause are

  • polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) – around 72% of women with clinical hyperandrogenism have PCOS (1)
  • idiopathic - androgen levels are not increased, resulting from hypersensitivity of the hair follicle to androgen (2). There may be a raised level of peripherally derived androgens such as 3 alpha-androstanediol glucorinide. The condition usually begins in the early teens and increases with age. A family history may be present.

Other causes:

  • adrenal -
    • non-classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (less than 5%)
    • congenital adrenal hyperplasia
    • Cushing's syndrome
    • virilizing tumour
  • pituitary -
    • acromegaly
    • hyperprolactinaemia (1)
  • ovarian -
    • virilising tumours
    • gonadal dysgenesis
  • thyroid dysfunction (1)
  • iatrogenic -
    • drugs - androgenic drugs, oral contraceptives, phenytoin
  • menopause – is thought to be due to decreasing oestrogen levels leading to unopposed androgen effects, most present with facial hirsutism (4)
  • Turner's syndrome

Reference:

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page