Hirsutism score and the severity of hyperandrogenism associated with polycystic ovary syndrome in the south-eastern region of Turkey

Abstract

This study investigated the severity of hirsutism and its correlation with serum total testosterone (tT) levels in 87 patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and 85 healthy control subjects from the south-eastern region of Turkey. A wide range of variability exists in both hirsutism and modified Ferriman-Gallwey (mFG) scores. Similar mFG scores and serum tT levels were found compared with previous studies of general populations, but lower scores than those previously reported from Turkey. The incidence of hirsutism was lower in hyperandrogenic PCOS patients compared with nonhyperandrogenic PCOS patients. There was no correlation between serum tT levels and the rate of hirsutism in patients with PCOS. Heritability, testosterone receptor sensitivity, 5 alpha reductase activity or environmental/socioeconomic factors may play a role in the development of clinical hirsutism. Larger scale studies are needed to clarify which other factors may be responsible and to confirm these results.