Research Information System
Endocrine Practice, vol.13, no.5, pp.472-475, 2007 (SCI-Expanded)
Objective: To describe a woman with postmenopausal virilization and hirsutism caused by hilus-cell hyperplasia. Methods: We present a case report including laboratory, radiographic, and pathologic findings in a patient with postmenopausal hirsutism and virilization caused by ovarian hilus-cell hyperplasia as well as a brief review of the literature. Results: A 60-year-old postmenopausal woman presented with extensive hirsutism, male-pattern hair loss, and clitoromegaly. The patient's plasma testosterone levels were very high, but computed tomography showed the adrenal glands to be normal in size. Pelvic ultrasonography revealed a cystic lesion in the left ovary. After bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, histologic examination demonstrated a diffuse pattern of hilus-cell hyperplasia in the ovarian hilum. Conclusion: In the differential diagnosis of postmenopausal virilization, hilus-cell hyperplasia, although rare, should be considered. © 2007 AACE.