Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous disorder, characterized by chronic anovulation and hyperandrogenism. Hirsutism, defined as excessive terminal hair that appears in a male pattern in a woman, is frequently present in patients with PCOS. We aimed to determine the clinical and biological characteristics of hirsute patients with PCOS.

Methods: It was a retrospective study included 30 women diagnosed with PCOS according to the Rotterdam consensus. Hirsutism was defined as a Ferriman–Gallwey score ≥8. The medical history, physical examination findings and hormonal profiles were documented and analyzed.

Results: The mean age of the study population was 27.7±8.4 years. A family history of hypertension and diabetes was found in 73% of cases. Hirsutism occured in puberty in 80% of cases. It was severe in only one woman (3%) and mild to moderate in 29 women (97%). Menstrual abnormalities were present in 22 women (73%) and 4 women (13%) had a history of miscarriage. The remainder of the clinical examination revealed the presence of acne, acanthosis nigricans, android obesity and hypertension in 17%, 30%, 70% and 16% of cases, respectively. Hormonal assessment showed hyperandrogenism in 70% of patients with a mean level of testosterone of 0.9±0.4 ng/ml and moderate hyperprolactinemia in 3 cases (10%). Metabolic exploration found a glucose intolerance, diabetes and hypertriglyceridemia in 10%, 13% and 13% of patients, respectively. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 36.7%.

Conclusion: In patients with PCOS, hirsutism is often mild to moderate with a progressive onset and without other signs of virilization. The association with metabolic disorders is frequent, highlighting the contribution of insulin resistance in the pathophysiology of PCOS.