Baldness, benign prostate hyperplasia, prostate cancer and androgen levels.
BACKGROUND
We evaluated the pattern of baldness and serum androgen levels in patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer. BPH, prostate cancer and androgenic alopecia (AA) were somehow androgen dependent and affect large population of elderly men.


METHODS
A total of 152 patients, 108 patients with BPH and 44 patients with prostate cancer were included in the study. We measured serum total, free and bioavailable testosterone, FSH, LH, prolactin, estradiol, albumin and SHBG levels. Baldness classification was based on Norwood's classification and we categorised baldness as vertex and frontal baldness.


RESULTS
The frequency of AA in BPH and prostate cancer groups were not different. We looked for some correlation between the two groups with respect to AA and hormone levels. We did not find any correlation between AA and total testosterone, free testosterone, bioavailable testosterone or SHBG levels in both groups.


CONCLUSIONS
This prospective study with selected small group of patients showed that there is no difference of male pattern baldness in BPH and prostate cancer patients and also there is no correlation between pattern of baldness and serum androgen levels.
Faydaci
Gökhan
G
Urology Clinic, Lutfi Kirdar Kartal Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. faydacig@yahoo.com
Bilal
Eryildirim
E
Necmettin
Penpegül
P
Fatih
Tarhan
T
Asuman
Orçun
O
Uğur
Kuyumcuoğlu
K
D000368:Aged; D000505:Alopecia / Q000097:blood* / Q000145:classification; D000728:Androgens / Q000097:blood*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000097:blood*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D000728:Androgens