Androgenetic Alopecia in a Postmenopausal Woman Due to Ovarian Hyperthecosis
February 2003
in “
Australasian Journal of Dermatology
”
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Studysummary This review discusses ovarian hyperthecosis as a rare cause of androgenetic alopecia in postmenopausal women and reports no new results; the authors highlight the need to explore its relationship to alopecia further. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
This article reports a case of androgenetic alopecia in a postmenopausal woman caused by ovarian hyperthecosis. The patient had elevated levels of testosterone, androstenedione, and estradiol, and imaging suggested a right ovarian mass. Bilateral oophorectomy was performed, and histology confirmed bilateral ovarian hyperthecosis. The article suggests that ovarian hyperthecosis should be considered as a possible cause of androgenetic alopecia in postmenopausal women, and that a full endocrinological evaluation is necessary for patients with elevated serum testosterone levels.
