Testosterone- and Cortisol-Secreting Adrenocortical Oncocytoma: An Unusual Cause of Hirsutism
January 2014
in “
Case reports in endocrinology
”
TLDR A woman's excessive hair growth was caused by a rare benign tumor in her adrenal gland, which was successfully removed.
In 2014, a case report described a 23-year-old female with hirsutism due to a rare testosterone- and cortisol-secreting adrenocortical oncocytoma in her left adrenal gland. The patient had abnormal hormone levels, with total testosterone at 4.2 ng/mL, free testosterone over 100 pg/mL, and DHEAS at 574 µg/dL. An MRI revealed a 27 × 25 mm mass, which was removed via laparoscopic left adrenalectomy and confirmed to be a benign oncocytoma. Her hormone levels normalized post-surgery, confirming the tumor as the cause of her hirsutism. This case was the second reported instance of its kind, highlighting the need to consider adrenal oncocytomas when diagnosing hirsutism.
