[Adrenogenital syndrome--diagnosis, treatment and therapeutic control]

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia is a rare, genetic disorder. In Denmark about 90 cases have been diagnosed over the last 20 years. It is potentially life-threatening in early childhood, and must be intensively controlled in order to achieve a normal growth, pubertal maturation and fertility. This article reviews the pathogenesis and genetic and clinical characteristics underlying congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and outlines pre- and postnatal approaches to the diagnosis and monitoring, with special emphasis on 21-hydroxylase defect.