Postmenopausal hyperandrogenism of ovarian origin. A clinicopathologic study of four cases

Abstract

Postmenopausal hyperandrogenism with overt clinical effects is rare and often related to ovarian stromal disorders. We present a clinicopathologic study of 4 cases. The patients (age range 41-75 years; mean 62 years) had evidence of hirsutism or frank virilization. Their serum testosterone was elevated with or without increases in their serum androstenedione and DHEA levels. There were two right-ovarian hilus cell tumors, one associated with left-ovarian stromal hyperplasia and the other with bilateral hyperthecosis and nodular hilus cell hyperplasia. The other tumor was a small corticomedullary stromal luteoma with bilateral hyperthecosis and nodular hilus cell hyperplasia. The fourth patient had bilateral hilus cell hyperplasia with mild cortical-stromal hyperplasia. All these patients had rapid normalization of androgen levels after surgery without recurrence after a 2- to 10-year follow-up.