How is Hirsutism Diagnosed?
Two methods are used to diagnose hirsutism. The Ferriman-Gallwey model requires a visual inspection for the presence of excess hair growth. This model quantifies the amount of hair growth on nine areas of the body. Hair growth is rated using a scale of 0 (no terminal hair) to 4 (maximal growth) for a total score of 36. A score of 8 or more indicates the presence of excess androgens (Patel and Korytkowski, 2000). The problem is that visual inspection is not enough to indicate that there is a hirsutism problem. Many women pluck, shave, or otherwise remove the hair so that it is not present at the time of examination. Another method for determining hirsutism is blood tests for excess androgens. These tests include free testosterone, total testosterone, and dehydropiandosterone sulfate (DHEAS). Women with PCOS tend to have elevated levels of free testosterone in their systems because they do not have enough sex hormone-binding globulin produced by the liver. Normally, testosterone will bin
