[Hormonal profile in men with premature androgenic alopecia].

Androgenetic alopecia especially that with premature onset can be a cause of serious psychic trauma. As far as the treatment with antiandrogens, inhibitors of 5 alpha-reductase or hair transplantation represents a heavy economic burden for the patient, we tried to exclude other hormonal causes or to find a criterion for the apt candidates for the treatment in 15 young men with premature androgenetic alopecia. Hormonal analysis discovered a significantly lower plasma level of sexual binding globulin (SHBG) and FSH and nearly significantly higher concentration of 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone. These data resemble those in the hormonal pattern of women suffering from the syndrome of polycystic ovaries (PCOS). The finding of premature balding as the possible male phenotype hormonal equivalent of polycystic ovaries is in concordance with several pedigree studies in kindreds with PCOS, which have suggested a genetic basis of this syndrome in some families in which balding and pilosity was frequent in male members.