Fertility among women with classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia: report of seven cases where treatment was started after 9 years of age.
OBJECTIVE
Androgen excess is believed to be one of the major factors responsible for poor fertility outcomes in females with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Some believe that the adverse effect of androgens on fertility could have its origins as early as the antenatal years. To assess the impact of prolonged androgen exposure on fertility in CAH patients, we compiled the data of females with CAH followed in our clinic during the last 25 years who were sexually active and had not been initiated on steroids until age 9 years.


METHODS
This was an observational case study on seven patients with classical CAH who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The age at initiation of therapy in these females ranged from 9 years to 29 years.


RESULTS
All patients had varying degrees of genital ambiguity. The most common presenting complaints were genital ambiguity, non-development of secondary sexual characteristics, hirsutism and primary amenorrhea. Genital surgery was performed in all patients at ages ranging from 12 to 29 years, except for one patient who underwent surgery at age 5 years without a diagnosis of CAH being made. Breast development ensued within 2 to 12 months and periods started in all patients within 2-24 months of steroid initiation. There were 13 pregnancies (seven normal vaginal deliveries, two spontaneous abortions and four pregnancies were medically terminated).


CONCLUSIONS
Late initiation of steroid therapy did not affect fertility in our cohort of CAH women. Androgen excess in situations of subnormal cortisol may not adversely affect fertility in females with CAH.
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Bindu
B
Kulshreshtha
Eunice
E
Marumudi
Madan Lal
ML
Khurana
Alka
A
Kriplani
Geeta
G
Kinra
Denvender K
DK
Gupta
Kiran
K
Kucheria
Rajesh
R
Khadgawat
Nandita
N
Gupta
Ashu
A
Seith
Ariachery C
AC
Ammini
D000312:Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D003907:Dexamethasone