Virilization

Revision as of 19:15, 10 February 2015 by Rabin Bista (talk | contribs) (→‎Drug Causes)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

For patient information, click here

WikiDoc Resources for Virilization

Articles

Most recent articles on Virilization

Most cited articles on Virilization

Review articles on Virilization

Articles on Virilization in N Eng J Med, Lancet, BMJ

Media

Powerpoint slides on Virilization

Images of Virilization

Photos of Virilization

Podcasts & MP3s on Virilization

Videos on Virilization

Evidence Based Medicine

Cochrane Collaboration on Virilization

Bandolier on Virilization

TRIP on Virilization

Clinical Trials

Ongoing Trials on Virilization at Clinical Trials.gov

Trial results on Virilization

Clinical Trials on Virilization at Google

Guidelines / Policies / Govt

US National Guidelines Clearinghouse on Virilization

NICE Guidance on Virilization

NHS PRODIGY Guidance

FDA on Virilization

CDC on Virilization

Books

Books on Virilization

News

Virilization in the news

Be alerted to news on Virilization

News trends on Virilization

Commentary

Blogs on Virilization

Definitions

Definitions of Virilization

Patient Resources / Community

Patient resources on Virilization

Discussion groups on Virilization

Patient Handouts on Virilization

Directions to Hospitals Treating Virilization

Risk calculators and risk factors for Virilization

Healthcare Provider Resources

Symptoms of Virilization

Causes & Risk Factors for Virilization

Diagnostic studies for Virilization

Treatment of Virilization

Continuing Medical Education (CME)

CME Programs on Virilization

International

Virilization en Espanol

Virilization en Francais

Business

Virilization in the Marketplace

Patents on Virilization

Experimental / Informatics

List of terms related to Virilization

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

In biology and medicine, virilization refers to the biological development of sex differences, changes which make a male body different from a female body. Most of the changes of virilization are produced by androgens. Virilization is most commonly used in three medical and biology of gender contexts: prenatal sexual differentiation, the postnatal changes of normal male puberty, and excessive androgen effects in girls or women.

Prenatal virilization

In the prenatal period, virilization refers to closure of the perineum, thinning and rugation of the scrotum, growth of the phallus, and closure of the urethral groove to the tip of the penis. In this context masculinization is synonymous with virilization. Prenatal virilization of genetic females and undervirilization of genetic males are common causes of ambiguous genitalia and intersex conditions.

Undervirilization can occur if a genetic male cannot produce enough androgen or the body tissues cannot respond to it. Extreme undervirilization occurs when no significant androgen can be produced or the body is completely insensitive to it, and results in a female body. Partial undervirilization produces ambiguous genitalia part way between male and female. The mildest degree of undervirilization may be a slightly small penis with hypospadias. Examples of undervirilization are androgen insensitivity syndrome, 5 alpha reductase deficiency, and some forms of congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Prenatal virilization (or masculinization) of a genetically female fetus can occur when an excessive amount of androgen is produced by the fetal adrenal glands or is present in maternal blood. In the severest form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia complete masculinization of a genetically female fetus results in an apparently normal baby boy with no palpable testes. More often, the virilization is partial and the genitalia are ambiguous.

Normal virilization

In common as well as medical usage, virilization often refers to the process of normal male puberty, in which testosterone changes a boy's body into a man's. These effects include growth of the penis and testes, accelerated growth, development of pubic hair and other androgenic hair of face, torso, and limbs, deepening of the voice, increased musculature, thickening of the jaw, prominence of the neck cartilage, and broadening of the shoulders.

Abnormal childhood virilization

Virilization can occur in childhood in either boys or girls due to excessive amounts of androgens. Typical effects of virilization in children are pubic hair, accelerated growth and bone maturation, increased muscle strength, acne, adult body odor, and sometimes growth of the penis. In a boy, virilization may signal precocious puberty, while congenital adrenal hyperplasia and androgen producing tumors (usually) of the gonads or adrenals are occasional causes in both sexes.

virilization in adolescent or adult women

Virilization in a woman can manifest as clitoral enlargement, increased muscle strength, acne, hirsutism, frontal hair thinning, deepening of the voice, and menstrual disruption due to anovulation. Some of the possible causes of virilization in women are:

Causes

Drug Causes

See also

Template:WH Template:WS