What is "hyperandrogenism"

n. (context medicine English) An abnormally high production of androgens.

Hyperandrogenism, or androgen excess, is a medical condition characterized by excessive levels of androgens in the body and the associated effects of these excessive levels of androgens.

Hyperandrogenism is one of the primary symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In such cases, it presents with symptoms such as acne and seborrhea, is frequent in adolescent girls and is often associated with irregular menstrual cycles. In most instances, these symptoms are transient and reflect only the immaturity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis during the first years following menarche. Approximately three-quarters of patients with PCOS (by the diagnostic criteria of NIH/ NICHD 1990) have evidence of hyperandrogenism, with free testosterone being the single most predictive marker with ~60% of patients demonstrating supranormal levels.

Hyperandrogenism can also be the result of excessive production of adrenal or gonadal androgens by adrenal adenomas, carcinomas, or hyperplasia, Leydig cell tumors in men, and arrhenoblastomas in women.

In women, signs and symptoms of hyperandrogenism frequently include acne, scalp hair loss ( androgenic alopecia), excessive facial and body hair ( hirsutism), atypically high libido, breast atrophy, and others. Collectively, these symptoms are described as virilization.

Management of hyperandrogenism symptoms like androgenic alopecia, include the use of antiandrogens such as cyproterone acetate, spironolactone, and flutamide.