Juraj Payer, Zuzana Teliarová
Hirsutism we understand as growth of terminal hairiness in a woman in localisation and intensity which is typical for men after puberty. In women excessive hairiness means the presence of abnormal production of androgens or increased susceptibility of receptors to normal concentration of androgens in blood. This type of increased hairiness is necessary to distinguish from hypertrichosis which is characterised by increased diffuse growth of fine hairiness on whole body. It can be congenital, induced by some medicaments (cyclosporine, diazoxide, minoxidil, phenytoin) or acquired diseases (anorexia nervosa, hypothyreosis). As it is not induced by excess of androgens, it is not possible to moderate it by antiandrogens. Virilisation represents more serious form of hyperandrogenemia, which is besides masculinizing symptoms marked by even more distinctive symptoms (clitoromegaly, deepened voice, frontotemporal alopecia, muscle hypertrophy, man bodily habitus). It is a serious medical problem requiring urgent diagnostics and terapheutical procedure.
Keywords: hirsutism, hypertrichosis, virilisation, hyperandrogenemia