Virilization Health Dictionary

See virilization.... masculinization

Natural or synthetic androgen hormones used as drugs; one of the most important is testosterone. These drugs are used in the treatment of male hypogonadism (underactivity of the testes) to stimulate the development of sexual characteristics.

Androgen drugs are occasionally used to treat certain types of breast cancer. They have been widely used by sportsmen wishing to increase muscle bulk and strength, a practice that is dangerous to health (see steroids, anabolic).

Adverse effects include fluid retention, weight gain, increased blood cholesterol, and, rarely, liver damage. When taken by women, the drugs can cause male characteristics, such as facial hair, to develop.

androgen hormones A group of hormones that stimulate the development of male sexual characteristics.

Androgens are produced by specialized cells in the testes in males and in the adrenal glands in both sexes. The ovaries secrete very small quantities of androgens until the menopause. The most active androgen is testosterone, which is produced in the testes. The production of androgens by the testes is controlled by certain pituitary hormones, called gonadotrophins. Adrenal androgens are controlled by ACTH, another pituitary hormone.

Androgens stimulate male secondary sexual characteristics at puberty, such as the growth of facial hair and deepening of the voice. They have an anabolic effect (they raise the rate of protein synthesis and lower the rate at which it is broken down). This increases muscle bulk and accelerates growth. At the end of puberty, androgens cause the long bones to stop growing. They stimulate sebum secretion, which, if excessive, causes acne. In early adult life, androgens promote male-pattern baldness.

Androgen deficiency may occur if the testes are diseased or if the pituitary gland fails to secrete gonadotrophins. Typical effects include decreased body and facial hair, a high-pitched voice, underdevelopment of the genitalia, and poor muscle development.

Overproduction of androgens may be the result of adrenal disorders (see adrenal tumours; adrenal hyperplasia, congenital), of testicular tumours (see testis, cancer of), or, rarely, of androgensecreting ovarian tumours (see ovary, cancer of).

In men, excess androgens accentuate male characteristics; in boys, they cause premature sexual development.

In women, excess androgens cause virilization, the development of masculine features such as an increase in body hair, deepening of the voice, clitoral enlargement, and amenorrhoea.... androgen drugs

A rare tumour of the ovary that occurs in young women. The tumour is noncancerous but secretes androgen hormones (male sex hormones) that cause virilization (the development of male characteristics). Treatment is by surgical removal of the affected ovary.... arrhenoblastoma

adj. promoting tissue growth by increasing the metabolic processes involved in protein synthesis. Anabolic steroids are synthetic forms of male sex hormones (see androgen); they include *nandrolone. They were formerly used to help weight gain in underweight patients, such as the elderly and those with serious illnesses, but are now used mainly to stimulate the production of blood cells by the bone marrow in some forms of aplastic anaemia. Some anabolic steroids cause virilization in women and liver damage.... anabolic

an androgen-producing tumour of the ovary found in older women and often resulting in *virilization. Such tumours are so called as they tend to occur around the area of the ovary where the blood vessels enter (the hilum). They are usually small and are treated by surgical removal, with resolution of most of the symptoms.... hilar cell tumour

n. the presence of coarse pigmented hair on the face, chest, upper back, or abdomen in a female as a result of *hyperandrogenism (excessive production of androgen). See also virilization.... hirsutism

n. excessive secretion of androgen in women. It is associated with *hirsutism, acne, sparse or infrequent menstruation (oligomenorrhoea), absent or infrequent ovulation, infertility, endometrial *hyperplasia, *hyperlipidaemia, *hyperglycaemia, and hypertension; all these conditions may be the result of mutations in specific genes. See also virilization.... hyperandrogenism

a tumour of the *interstitial (Leydig) cells of the testis. Such tumours often secrete testosterone, which in prepubertal boys causes *virilization and precocious puberty.... leydig tumour

n. a synthetic male sex hormone with *anabolic effects. It is used in the treatment of aplastic *anaemia and high doses may cause signs of *virilization in women.... nandrolone