Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2017 Feb 16;3(1 Suppl):S6-S10.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijwd.2017.02.007. eCollection 2017 Mar.

Endocrine evaluation of hirsutism

John Mihailidis  1 , Racha Dermesropian  1 , Pamela Taxel  1 , Pooja Luthra  1 , Jane M Grant-Kels  2
Affiliations
Review

Endocrine evaluation of hirsutism

John Mihailidis et al. Int J Womens Dermatol. .

Abstract

Hirsutism is defined as excessive terminal hair growth in a male pattern in females. It typically affects 5 to 10% of reproductive-age women. Excessive hair growth can often cause significant psychological and emotional distress. As a result, hirsutism is a common presenting complaint to healthcare professionals, including dermatologists, as women search for cosmetic and medical solutions to their problem. Hirsutism results from excess production of androgens, often from ovarian or adrenal sources. It is typically associated with a metabolic syndrome like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), but can be idiopathic or medication-induced. This article provides an endocrine perspective for the evaluation and management of hirsutism.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Management of hirsutism.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

  • Endocrine evaluation of hirsutism.
    Mihailidis J, Dermesropian R, Taxel P, Luthra P, Grant-Kels JM. Mihailidis J, et al. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2015 Jun 4;1(2):90-94. doi: 10.1016/j.ijwd.2015.04.003. eCollection 2015 Jun. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2015. PMID: 28491965 Free PMC article. Review.
  • [Hirsutism].
    Fanta M. Fanta M. Ceska Gynekol. 2017 Summer;82(3):237-242. Ceska Gynekol. 2017. PMID: 28593779 Review. Czech.
  • Hirsutism and virilism in women.
    Kirschner MA. Kirschner MA. Spec Top Endocrinol Metab. 1984;6:55-93. Spec Top Endocrinol Metab. 1984. PMID: 6084314 Review.
  • Endocrinology of Hirsutism: From Androgens to Androgen Excess Disorders.
    Yilmaz B, Yildiz BO. Yilmaz B, et al. Front Horm Res. 2019;53:108-119. doi: 10.1159/000494907. Epub 2019 Sep 9. Front Horm Res. 2019. PMID: 31499500 Review.
  • [Hirsutism].
    van Zuuren EJ, Pijl H. van Zuuren EJ, et al. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2007 Oct 20;151(42):2313-8. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2007. PMID: 18064932 Review. Dutch.
See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Akiyama M., Smith L.T., Holbrook K.A. Growth factor and growth factor receptor localization in the hair follicle bulge and associated tissue in human fetus. J Invest Dermatol. 1996;106:391–396. - PubMed
    1. Azziz R., Carmina E., Sawaya M.E. Idiopathic hirsutism. Endocr Rev. 2000;21:347–362. - PubMed
    1. Barth J.H., Catalan J., Cherry C.A., Day A. Psychological morbidity in women referred for treatment of hirsutism. J Psychosom Res. 1993;37:615–619. - PubMed
    1. Carmina E., Koyama T., Chang L., Stanczyk F.Z., Lobo R.A. Does ethnicity influence the prevalence of adrenal hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome? Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1992;167:1807–1812. - PubMed
    1. Cosma M., Swiglo B.A., Flynn D.N., Kurtz D.M., Labella M.L., Mullan R.J. Clinical review: insulin sensitizers for the treatment of hirsutism: a systematic review and metaanalyses of randomized controlled trials. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008;93:1135–1142. - PubMed