The ovary-suppression test in the evaluation of hyperandrogenemia

Abstract

Forty hyperandrogenemic women were investigated in order to determine whether the source of androgen excess could be attached to a dysfunction of the ovary or the adrenal cortex with a higher degree of accuracy when both steroid-producing organs were subjected to a supposedly specific suppression test. Dexamethasone (DXM) was administered at a dose of 2 mg for 2 days. The ovary-suppression test (OST) was carried out after a combined preparation containing 35 micrograms of ethinyl estradiol and 2 mg of cyproterone acetate (EE-CPA) had been taken for 2-3 weeks. Before and after the tests, the serum levels of testosterone (T), free testosterone (fT), DHEA-S and SHBG were determined. Serum T was lowered by DXM and EE-CPA to the same degree: the latter was more effective with respect to fT. DHEA-S responded much better to DXM than to EE-CPA. The basal level of SHBG was below the lower limit of the norm in 45% of the women. This indicates that hyperandrogenemia can be associated with normal and subnormal levels of SHBG. T and/or fT were elevated in all 40 women. DHEA-S was higher than normal in only 22 of the 40. DXM normalized the DHEA-S level in all but 1 case. In another 18 women, serum T and fT remained unaffected by DXM. This indicates an ovarian source of androgen excess in these cases. The number of cases was reduced from 18 to 4 when the OST was carried out. Even though DXM and EE-CPA are not completely organ-specific in action, the combination of both suppression tests seems to allow a higher degree of discrimination to be made between an ovarian and an adrenal component of hyperandrogenemia than is possible with either test alone.