076 - La diagnosi dell’iperandrogenismo: il quesito del clinico e la risposta del laboratorio
Rivista: RIMeL - IJLaM, Vol. 3, N. 3-S1, 2007 (MAF Servizi srl ed.)
V.A. Giagulli, A. Fortunato
Hyperandrogenism diagnosis: from clinical questions to laboratory replies
Androgens are steroid hormones able to differentiate,
develop and maintain primary and secondary male sexual
characteristics. Moreover, Testosterone (T) presents important
metabolic effects on protein, lipid and carbohydrate
metabolism. Hyperandrogenism represents the clinical condition
induced by excessive androgens.
In men, this clinical condition is less frequent than in women
and, when it starts before puberty in the event of
testotoxicosis, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Cell Leydig
tumors, etc, can bring about pseudopubetax praecox.
Hyperandrogenemia (elevated serum T and/or FT ) does
not necessarily induce hyperandrogenism, a consequence
of the fact that the androgens in plasma may be relatively
inactive, a consequence of increased protein binding for
example in hyperthyroidism, or a consequence of partial
or complete androgen resistance of peripheral tissues, the
latter yielding pseudoermafroditism.....