Visually Scoring Hirsutism

The document reviewed the methods for assessing hirsutism, a condition affecting 5-15% of women characterized by excess terminal hair growth in a male-like pattern, often indicating androgen excess. It discussed the physiology of hair growth, the development and comparison of visual and objective measurement methods, and the influence of race and ethnicity. While objective methods like photographic evaluations and microscopic measurements exist, they are complex and costly. Visual scoring methods, particularly the modified Ferriman-Gallwey (mFG) method, have been used since the 1920s despite being semi-quantitative and subject to inter-observer variability. The mFG method remains a useful tool for diagnosing hirsutism and related conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome.