Background:
Pathological causes of acne and hirsutism include polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and adrenal or ovarian tumors. PCOS is largely a clinical diagnosis and often simple laboratory testing can rule out more severe pathology. In more severe cases, determination of the correct diagnosis can require hormone suppression testing. In this article, we present a full sequence of hormone suppression testing and workup necessary to arrive at the ultimate diagnosis.
Case presentation:
A 12-year-old normal weight (body mass index = 29th percentile), premenarchal female with Tanner III breast, Tanner V pubic hair presented with a 2.5-year history of severe hirsutism (Ferriman-Gallwey Score of 22), clitoromegaly, and deep voice. Successive hormone suppression and testing (ACTH stimulation testing, ovarian and adrenal imaging, dexamethasone-suppressed ACTH stimulation testing, and oral contraceptive therapy) was necessary to rule out congenital adrenal hyperplasia or a tumor and confirm PCOS. Metabolic testing, completed only after diagnosing PCOS, demonstrated insulin resistance.
Conclusions:
This patient had an extreme presentation of a common disorder. Her premenarchal status, elevated androgens, and virilization raised concern for non-PCOS pathology requiring sequential pharmacological hormone suppression testing and imaging for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. The testing presented here is not novel, but we present the full sequence of testing and clinical results. This full sequence is rarely necessary for accurate diagnosis given clinical presentation and initial evaluation and, therefore, to our knowledge, has not been published. All providers caring for patients with PCOS should be familiar with this testing and its interpretation for severe cases that warrant extra attention.