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Endocrine Abstracts (2018) 56 EP151 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.56.EP151

Department of Endocrinology, La Rabta Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia.


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.

Volume 56

20th European Congress of Endocrinology

Barcelona, Spain
19 May 2018 - 22 May 2018

European Society of Endocrinology 

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