Isosexual development of women with late-treated congential adrenal hyperplasia

Twelve women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia are reported. Initial diagnoses were made at ages ranging from 12 to 32, with epiphyseal fusion complete in all patients. During 6 to 10 years of corticosteroid therapy there occurred substantial reduction of hypertrichosis, disappearance of temporal recession, and decrease in eroticism. In 11 patients menstrual bleeding occurred within 4 months. Urinary excretion of total gonadotropins remained unchanged; total estrogens decreased slightly. By the end of followup, 7 patients with a mean age of 17 years had regular menses, 6 were ovulating, and 1 had a pregnancy. The other 5 patients, who continued to have irregular, anovulatory menstrual cycles, had a mean age of 28 years. The findings suggest that when excessive androgenization continues for a considerable period of time after puberty (as judged by bone age) noncyclic functioning of the gonadotropic mechanism is rendered irreversible.