Postmenopausal Hyperandrogenism Due to an Ovarian Sex Cord-Stromal Tumor Causing Elevated Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate: A Case Report
July 2022
in “
BMC Women s Health
”
TLDR An ovarian tumor can cause high male hormones in postmenopausal women.
A 76-year-old postmenopausal woman with diabetes and hypertension presented with hirsutism and male-type alopecia, revealing elevated testosterone and DHEAS levels. Despite DHEAS typically being of adrenal origin, imaging identified an ovarian sex cord-stromal tumour as the source. Following surgical removal of the tumour, hormone levels normalized. This case highlighted the rare occurrence of an ovarian neoplasm causing elevated DHEAS, a phenomenon not previously described outside of steroid cell tumours associated with Cushing syndrome. The study emphasized the importance of considering ovarian sources in hyperandrogenism cases with elevated DHEAS.