Routine screening for Cushing's syndrome is not required in patients presenting with hirsutism.

CONTEXT: Prevalence of Cushing's syndrome (CS) in patients presenting with hirsutism is not well known.

OBJECTIVE

Screening of CS in patients with hirsutism.

SETTING

Referral hospital.

PATIENTS AND OTHER

PARTICIPANTS

This study was carried out on 105 patients who were admitted to the Endocrinology Department with the complaint of hirsutism.

INTERVENTION: All the patients were evaluated with low-dose dexamethasone suppression test (LDDST) for CS.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Response to LDDST in patients presenting with hirsutism.

RESULTS

All the patients had suppressed cortisol levels following low-dose dexamethasone administration excluding CS. The etiology of hirsutism was polycystic ovary syndrome in 79%, idiopathic hirsutism in 13%, idiopathic hyperandrogenemia in 6%, and nonclassical congenital hyperplasia in 2% of the patients.

CONCLUSION

Routine screening for CS in patients with a referral diagnosis of hirsutism is not required. For the time being, diagnostic tests for CS in hirsute patients should be limited to patients who have accompanying clinical stigmata of hypercortisolism.