Hirsutism
September 1976
in “
PubMed
”
TLDR Hirsutism is excessive male-pattern hair growth mainly caused by ovarian hormones, and severe cases may require costly treatment with side effects.
The 1976 article on hirsutism distinguished it from hypertrichosis and virilism, noting that hirsutism is influenced by factors such as age, race, heredity, and sensitivity to testosterone. It was found that the ovary, rather than the adrenal cortex, is the main source of testosterone and androstanedione. Mild hirsutism could be managed with external methods like plucking or electrolysis. For cases with amenorrhea, corticoids could reduce hirsutism by up to one-third over prolonged treatment. Effective but costly treatment involved reverse-sequence therapy with cyproterone acetate and ethinyl estradiol, recommended only for severe cases due to potential side effects.
