[Determination of plasma 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol in the hirsute woman. A critical study of the biological diagnosis of hyperandrogenism].

Plasma 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol (3 alpha-diol) levels were measured by radioimmunoassay after separation by column chromatography in normal and hirsute women. Mean values were 106 +/- 17 pg/ml in normal women and 182 +/- 22 pg/ml in hirsute women, the difference being significant (p less than 0.001). High plasma 3 alpha-diol levels were found in 29 out of 31 patients. Measurements of testosterone (T), delta-4 androstenedione (A) and dehydro epiandrosterone sulphate were performed simultaneously in 23 patients. The 3 alpha-diol measurements proved as useful as the other parameters to assess biochemical hyperandrogenism, but they cannot replace simultaneous T and A measurements which remain the best diagnostic criteria.