Abstract
Butler and Marrian 1 in reporting the isolation of a steroid compound pregnane-3-17-20-triol, from the urine of 2 women with virilism caused by “enlarged adrenals,” also noted the presence of “appreciable amounts of pregnandiol.” Venning, Weil and Browne 2 later reported the finding of considerable amounts of sodium pregnandiol glucuronidate (12 mg to 30 mg per day) in 2 cases of virilism, one of which was subsequently found to have an adrenal cortex carcinoma and, the other, adrenal cortex hyperplasia.
During the past 2 years, we have been performing pregnandiol excretion studies in women with the arrhenomimetic (virilism) syndrome. In the present communication, we wish to report the results of these studies.
Methods and Materials. A total of 7 cases was studied. These consisted of 2 cases proven by operation to be adrenal cortex carcinomas and 5 cases of amenorrhea and hypertrichosis of undetermined etiology. Sodium pregnandiol glucuronidate determinations 3 were performed on single 24-, 48-, or 72-hour specimens, for periods varying from 6 to 32 days.
Results. Pregnandiol Excretion in Patients with Adrenal Cortex Carcinoma. In the 2 patients in whom adrenal cortex carcinomas were found, the pregnandiol excretion varied in one from 9 to 20 mg per day and, in the other, from 12 to 18 mg per day. In one patient (I.E.), in whom it was possible to obtain post-operative urines, these were found to contain no detectable amount of pregnandiol after removal of the tumor.
Pregnandiol Excretion in Patients with Arrhenomimetic Syndrome (without adrenal cortex carcinoma). In the 5 cases in this group, X-rays of the adrenals after intravenous pyelogram and peri-renal insufflation failed to reveal any evidence of adrenal tumor or enlargement. Two of these (E.W. and T.S.) were explored surgically without revealing any evidence of adrenal neoplasm.
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