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Should androgen levels be measured in hirsute women with normal menstrual cycles?
A Mehta1, I Matwijiw, P J Taylor
1Department of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Abstract:
In a study of 129 consecutively referred hirsute women, 40% had regular menstrual cycles. About one half of such individuals had elevated levels of one or more androgens (DHEAS, testosterone or free testosterone index), whereas a higher proportion (69%) of hirsute women with oligo-amenorrhea were abnormal. Mean androgen levels in regularly cycling hirsute women were higher than in controls, but lower than or equal to those in oligo-amenorrheic hirsutism. Thus, menstrual status does not predict androgen status in hirsute women.
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