Clinical profile of 50 premenopausal women with hirsutism

Background: Hirsutism is a common condition, affecting up to 10% of women and may be associated with signs and symptoms of hyperandrogenism. The aim of this study was to study the clinical characteristics of patients presenting with hirsutism and to correlate the severity of hirsutism with the presence of these features. Methods: A hospital based, cross sectional prospective study was conducted on 50 patients with clinically diagnosed hirsutism. Scoring of hirsutism was done using modified Ferriman –Gallwey scoring system following which a complete history was taken and thorough examination of all patients in the study group was carried out for features associated with hirsutism. Results: Maximum (60%) patients had mild hirsutism, 30% had moderate hirsutism and 10% patients had severe hirsutism. Acne was the most commonly occurring clinical feature, occurring in 50% of the patients followed by menstrual irregularities in 46%, striae and obesity in 42% and acanthosis nigricans in 40% of the patients. Other features seen were androgenic alopecia in 26%, infertility in 16.67% and deepening of voice in 4% of participants. Conclusions: Hirsutism is a multifaceted condition and this study highlights the need for a thorough clinical examination in order to identify possible associated conditions which may provide significant clues for the underlying cause of hirsutism.