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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]To the poster who said her daughter's acne was attributed to a higher level of testosterone--I never heard of this. an you offer more details/info?[/quote]

PP here.  Daughter had few periods and acne.  When we finally got to the gynecologist, she dx'ed her with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) on the spot before running a hormonal panel.  PCOS can be something of a garbage diagnosis.  Initially, it was given to women who had numerous small cysts on their ovaries, which show up on an ultrasound.  Often, though, they will skip the ultrasound if you have several of the following symptoms: infrequesnt periods, treatment resistant acne, hirsutuism, overweight, or dark patches on the skin.  Typically, but not always, when the hormone panel is done testosterone is elevated.  Not everyone with PCOS is overweight, but it is typically a pre-diabetic form of insulin resistance and some are treated with Metformin.

My daughter had only few periods and acne.  Her testosterone came back high, not just elevated, and she had to have an ultrasound to see if she had a testosterone producing ovarian tumor (negative).  A tumor on the adrenals can have similar effects.  The PCOS dx in her case seemed to be a rather dubious--really just a shorthand for high testosterone.  In any case her skin cleared up nicely with birth control and spironalactone.

She recently underwent another round of tests with a reproductive endocrinologist to see if she has another cause of high testosterone--nonclassic congenital adrenal hyperplasia, a genetic disorder involving a missing enzyme.  We don't have the results back.  NCAH is more common in Ashkenazi Jews, Italians, and Hispanics, among other ethnic groups.  Treatment can involve steroids, but I don't know much about this as we haven't gotten there yet.

Having gone through three failed rounds of Accutane, a very potent drug, I would advise any female reaching the point of considering it to first see a gynecologist to have a hormonal panel done to check if hormones are the cause.  [/quote]

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