Hyperandrogenism, Elevated 17-Hydroxyprogesterone and Its Urinary Metabolites in a Young Woman with Ovarian Steroid Cell Tumor, Not Otherwise Specified: Case Report and Review of the Literature
October 2019
in “
Case reports in endocrinology
”
TLDR A young woman's symptoms suggested PCOS, but tests and surgery confirmed and treated a rare ovarian tumor, resolving her condition.
The document reported on a 24-year-old woman who was initially suspected to have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) due to symptoms like hirsutism, secondary amenorrhea, and diabetes mellitus. However, unusually high levels of serum androgens and 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) suggested an androgen-secreting ovarian tumor. Imaging confirmed a tumor in the right ovary, which was removed surgically, and identified as a steroid cell tumor, not otherwise specified (SCT-NOS). Following surgery, the patient's hyperandrogenism and menstrual irregularities resolved, and her androgen levels normalized. The case underlined the diagnostic challenges in differentiating PCOS from other causes of hyperandrogenism and proposed that urinary steroid profiling (USP) could help localize the source of 17-OHP, indicating the need for further research on its diagnostic value.
