Virilization is a medical condition, caused by an androgenic steroid (such as testosterone) overproduction. Virilization is the exaggerated masculine characteristic development in women or men.

In cases of mild Virilization, hirsutism (increased hair growth), occurs. True Virilization disease is very rare, affecting only approx. one or two of every 100,000 females. In males, the Virilization disease episodes are almost impossible to guess. Virilization’s symptoms include increased muscularity, face and body hairness, voice deepening, acnes, and baldness. In females, normal menstruation stops, the uterus shrinks, the breasts are becoming smaller, and clitoris enlarges. Both females and males can have an increased sex drive. The body combination changes make Virilization considerably easy for a doctors to determine.

A urine test may show androgenic steroids level. If androgenic steroids levels are high, the test of dexatethasone suppression may help find whether the problem is adrenal hyperplasia, cancer, or adenoma. In dexamethasone suppression test, a dexamethasone is given orally. If the cause is adrenal hyperplasia, corticosteroid dexamethasone prevents an adrenal gland from creating the androgenic steroid. If the problems are adrenal glands cancer or adenoma, dexamethazone reduces production of androgenic steroids.

A doctor can also perform CT (computed tomography) or MRI(magnetic resonance imaging) scans to view an adrenal glands. In Virilization, adrenal cancer and androgen-producing adenoma is treated by surgical removal of adrenal gland. For adrenal hyperplasia, small amount of dexamethasone corticosteroid usually decrease adrogenic steroids production, but drugs of corticosteroid group can also result in Cushings syndrome if taken in too large doses.

This entry was filed under Diseases and Conditions.

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