Sexual function in women with Cushing's Syndrome: A controlled study

The aim of this study is to determine the severity of female sexual dysfunction (FSD), quality of life, and depression status in female patients with Cushing's syndrome (CS).

This study included 29 sexually active women with CS and 30 healthy age and body mass index matched women. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) were filled by each participant. Plasma levels of FSH, LH, PRL, cortisol, DHEA-S, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione, free testosterone, total testosterone and estradiol were measured.

Female sexual dysfunction was present in 88.9% of the women with CS and 24.1% of the control group. The CS group showed a lower total FSFI score [16.6 (IQR: 5-23)] compared to the healthy women [26.8 (IQR: 25.5-30.4) (p<0.001)]. The FSFI scores in the arousal, lubrication, orgasm, pain and satisfaction domains were all lower in the women with CS (p<0.001). Both summary scores of the SF-36 were reduced in women with Cushing's syndrome compared to the control group (p=0.001). The BDI scores of patients were significantly higher than those of the control subjects (p=0.007). In patients with CS, levels of LH, estradiol, and DHEA-S04 were significantly lower while cortisol (p<0.05), and 17 hydroxyprogestrone levels were higher than control subjects (p<0.05).

This study showed that majority of the women with CS had FSD. This may be related to the inhibitory effect of cortisol on sex hormones.