Pathogenesis and Causes of Hirsutism
January 2006
hirsutism androgen disorder acne male-pattern balding androgen production androgen sensitivity polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS idiopathic hirsutism congenital adrenal hyperplasia androgen-secreting tumors insulin resistance syndromes hyperprolactinemia ovarian hyperandrogenism male-pattern hair growth male-pattern baldness androgens CAH
TLDR Hirsutism is mainly caused by high androgen levels or sensitivity, with PCOS being the most common cause.
In 2006, a document outlined the pathogenesis and causes of hirsutism, a condition of excessive male-pattern hair growth in women, affecting 5 to 10 percent of those of reproductive age. Hirsutism is often indicative of an underlying androgen disorder, which can also lead to acne and male-pattern balding. The condition is primarily caused by increased androgen production or sensitivity, with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) being the most common cause. Other causes include idiopathic hirsutism, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, androgen-secreting tumors, and severe insulin resistance syndromes. The document also notes that ethnicity and race play a role in defining normal hair growth and differentiates hirsutism from non-androgen-dependent hypertrichosis. The role of hyperprolactinemia in hirsutism is considered unclear, with suggestions that it may be related to the ovarian hyperandrogenism seen in PCOS.
