Postmenopausal Hyperandrogenism in a Patient With an Adrenal Adenoma: How Should We Approach It?

July 2015 in “ AACE clinical case reports ”

Lilian C. Mendoza-Mathison, M. Rabasa, Cintia González, Antonio Pérez

hyperandrogenism alopecia hirsutism testosterone adrenal nodule ovarian vein sampling adrenal vein sampling gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist bilateral oophorectomy androgen excess GnRH agonist

Studysummary This case report details a postmenopausal woman with hyperandrogenism due to both adrenal adenoma and ovarian hyperthecosis, highlighting the effectiveness of hormonal suppression and venous sampling for diagnosis. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

In the 2016 case report, a 57-year-old postmenopausal woman presented with severe hyperandrogenism, including symptoms of alopecia and hirsutism. Elevated testosterone levels were found, and while imaging revealed an adrenal nodule, ovarian and adrenal vein sampling identified the right ovary as the source of the excess androgen. Treatment with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist led to normalization of testosterone levels. Ultimately, a bilateral oophorectomy was performed, which normalized her testosterone levels and alleviated her hyperandrogenism symptoms. The case demonstrated the effectiveness of GnRH suppression and venous sampling in determining the source of androgen excess when imaging is not definitive, and confirmed the ovarian origin of the patient's condition.

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6 / 6 results

research Management of Endocrine Disease: Hyperandrogenism After Menopause

84 citations , September 2014 in “European journal of endocrinology”

This review examines the causes and characteristics of androgen excess in postmenopausal women, but reports no new clinical results; the authors emphasize challenges in diagnosis and potential long-term health impacts.

Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Management of Hirsutism: A Consensus Statement by the Androgen Excess and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Society

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research The Androgen Excess and PCOS Society Criteria for the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: The Complete Task Force Report

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This review discusses hirsutism management guidelines, recommending androgen testing only for women with abnormal hirsutism scores and advocating for combined therapy approaches depending on severity and underlying conditions, but it reports no new clinical results.