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Case Report
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Korean J Obstet Gynecol. 1997;40(11):2605-2608. Published online January 1, 2001.
- A Case of Hyperandrogenism, Insulin Resistance and Acanthosis Nigricans (HAIR-AN) Syndrome.
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K T Kim, C J Park, Y K Kim, P R Jang, Y S Park, H K Kim, D M Kim
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1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Seoul, Korea.
2Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Seoul, Korea.
- Abstract
- The HAIR-AN syndrome affects between 2% and 5% of hirsute women and is charactedrized by elevated insulin levels due to insulin resistance, acanthosis nigricans, and hyperandrogenemia. The insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinemia is typically due to a decreased number of insulin receptors, decreased functional activity of the receptor or circulating antiinsulin receptor antibodies. Multiple, independent lines of evidence support that chronic hyperinsulinemia causes ovarian hyperandrogenism. Acanthosis nigricans is considered a marker for insulin resistance in hirsute women. Although the association between hyperinsulinemia and hyperandrogenism remains to be fully explained at the molecular level, chronic hyperinsulinemia appears to be an important cause of hyperandrogenism.
Keywords :Hyperandrogenism;Insulin resistance;Acanthosis nigricans
