Publikation

New onset alopecia and hirsutism in a postmenopausal women

Wissenschaftlicher Artikel/Review - 01.05.2009

Bereiche
PubMed

Zitation
Bühler-Christen A, Tischler V, Diener P, Brändle M. New onset alopecia and hirsutism in a postmenopausal women. Gynecological endocrinology : the official journal of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology 2009; 25:324-7.
Art
Wissenschaftlicher Artikel/Review (Englisch)
Zeitschrift
Gynecological endocrinology : the official journal of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology 2009; 25
Veröffentlichungsdatum
01.05.2009
eISSN (Online)
1473-0766
Seiten
324-7
Kurzbeschreibung/Zielsetzung

Recent onset of hirsutism in postmenopausal women is mostly caused by androgen secretion from adrenal or ovarian tumours. Ovarian hyperthecosis (OH) is a cause of hyperandrogenism in premenopausal women, few cases of postmenopausal presentation have been described. We report on a 73-year old women with androgenic alopecia and hirsutism of recent onset because of elevated testosterone levels. Radiologic imaging showed no tumours of the adrenal glands and ovaries. Careful re-evaluation revealed increased ovarian size in relation to age. Bilateral ovarectomy confirmed the diagnosis of ovarian hyerthecosis and led to improvement of clinical findings. It is important to review imaging findings as OH may elude imaging studies. OH should be included in the differential diagnosis of postmenopausal hyperadnrogenism particularly if androgen excess is of recent-onset.