Obstructive Sleep Apnea Due to Endogenous Testosterone Production in a Woman
March 1998
in “
Mayo Clinic Proceedings
”
TLDR Removing a testosterone-producing tumor cured a woman's sleep apnea and other symptoms.
A 70-year-old nonobese woman with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was found to have a benign testosterone-producing ovarian tumor. After the tumor was removed, her OSA and symptoms of androgen excess, such as increased sex drive, resolved, and her testosterone levels normalized. This case supported the theory that endogenous testosterone can influence the development of OSA in women.