Diagnosis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia by measurement of plasma 17-hydroxyprogesterone.

Measurement of plasma 17-hydroxyprogesterone by a simple competitive protein-binding assay has proved of value in the diagnosis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Children with untreated adrenal hyperplasia had high resting levels from as early as the 6th day of life, and children treated with suppressive doses of cortisone showed a rise after adrenal stimulation with tetracosactrin. The method also promises to enhance the ease and precision with which the condition can be managed.