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Endocrine Abstracts (2016) 41 EP619 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.41.EP619

1Institute of Endocrinology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania; 2Vilnius University, Faculty of Medicine, Endocrinology Center, Vilnius, Lithuania.


The 1772 patients were referred for the dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S) concentration assessment in Lithuania during 2014. We investigated 309 clinical history cases of which 162 presented with normal DHEA-S concentration and 147 with elevated one.

One hundred twenty-three women with increased DHEA-S were examined. The following symptoms were found: hirsutism −39%, menstruation disorders −23%, weight gain −8%, and the rest −12 different items. One hundred forty-two women with normal DHEA-S complained of: menstruation disorders −32.3%, hirsutism −21.7%, infertility 10.6%, elevated blood pressure 8.1% and the rest −20 different items.

From 44 men, 24 had increased DHEA-S levels. 33.3% of them complained of elevated blood pressure and 29.2% had adrenal tumour. Of 20 men with normal DHEA-S, 25% cases of adrenal tumour and 10% cases of elevated blood pressure were found.

The body weight of women with elevated DHEA-S was higher as compared with women with normal DHEA-S (mean±S.D.) 80.72±20.85 kg vs 72.54±22.41 (P<0.005) and analogically was the BMI. Concentration of DHEA-S in women with normal DHEA-S was lower than the same parameter in women with high DHEA-S: 5.7±3.05 micromol/l vs 12.49±3.81, (P<0.001). The DHEA-S ratio (patient’s concentration of DHEA-S/highest level according to age) was 0.54±0.23 vs 1.3±0.35 (P<0.001) respectively. Testosterone concentration in above mentioned two female groups was 3.29±1.36 nmol/l vs 4.27±1.83 (P<0.00001).

The percentage of analysed women with normal and high DHEA-S concentration who underwent the diagnostic imaging was always the same. The abdominal ultrasonography was used for 26.1% and 27.6%, the adrenal computed tomography was used for 14.8% and 17.1% and the magnetic resonance imaging was applied for 2.1% and 2.4% of women with normal and increased DHEA-S levels, respectively.

This suggests that finding of even high DHEA-S concentration does not increase diagnostic imaging use and has no influence on the further clinical decisions.

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