Etiologic Aspects of Hirsutism in Kashmiri Women Presenting to a District Hospital in Northern State of India

ABSTRACT

To assess the etiological aspects of hirsutism in Kashmiri women presenting to a district hospital in the northern state of India. Methods: Design: Prospective evaluation of hirsute patients referred to our endocrinology clinic. Setting: District-level primary care hospital. Patient(s) 150 consecutive women referred for hirsutism. Intervention(s) Assessment of body hair as per the Ferriman and Gallwey scoring system and an investi-gative protocol including detailed clinical assessment with endocrinologic workup including estimations of gonadotropins, PRL, T, and 17- hydroxyprogesterone and abdominopelvic ultrasound. Main Outcome Measure: Cause of hirsutism. Results: The etiology of hirsutism revealed idiopathic hirsutism in 35%, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in 35%, postmenopausal state in 12%, adrenal and ovarian tumors in 5 %, congenital adrenal hyperplasia in 2 %, and drug-induced hirsutism in 6 %. The cause remained undetermined in 5 % of patients for whom the available information was not adequate. Conclusion: Hirsutism is as common a problem in the Kashmir Valley (India) as elsewhere in the world. Idiopathic hirsutism (35 %), PCOS (35 %), and postmenopausal state ( 12 %) are common causes of hirsutism. Late-onset congenital adrenal hyperplasia is a relatively uncommon cause of hirsutism in the Kashmir Valley.