title: IRIS: methodological assessment of psychopathological disease in a cohort of hirsute women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hirsutism in females can be a source of considerable psychological distress and a threat to female identity. The aim of our study was to evaluate a possible relationship between facial, total body hair involvement and physical, mental and social well-being during 12 months of follow-up and treatment. Both objective and subjective methods of evaluating hirsutism were used: the Ferriman-Gallwey (FG) scoring method and the questionnaires General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-12, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Questionnaire (PCOSQ) and SF-12.
  
  
  METHODS
  The total of 469 female patients (mean age 27.61±7.63 years) was enrolled in 27 Italian centers participating in this study. Higher total body score was correlated to significant emotional discomfort. The correlation between the FG total body score, the facial score and physical/mental health was found to be significant in all the patients assessed by SF-12 questionnaire. The ongoing reduction of GHQ-12 score was found for the facial FG score at the first follow-up (T0-T1 period) and at the second one (T0-T2). No relationship was found between T1 and T2. At both 6 (T1) and 12 months (T2) follow-up an increase of PCOSQ Score (psychological improvement) was accompanied by a concomitant reduction of the FG Score (reduction of hirsutism). Physical health assessed by SF-12 questionnaire does not change at both 6- and 12-month follow-up, but mental health decreased at both T1 and T2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The clinical improvement was achieved at 6 months regardless on treatment used and it was maintained for the next six-month follow-up. The clinical outcome could be assessed both by FG Score both through questionnaires administrated to each patient with hirsutism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For the evaluation of psychopathological discomfort the most appropriate questionnaire was GHQ-12, because of it major sensitivity to identify the psychological discomfort in the hirsutism.
authors.affiliation: DiSSal Section of Dermatology, University of Genoa, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino-IST, Genoa, Italy - javorsanja@libero.it.
authors.forename: Sanja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Javor
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, A.O.S. Giovanni Battista, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Manieri
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics Unit, Department of Health Sciences (DiSSal), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schiavetti
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics Unit, Department of Health Sciences (DiSSal), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Clinical Endocrinology and Oncology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Rome &quot;Tor Vergata&quot;, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Carboni
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Clinic, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fabbrocini
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Endocrinology, University of Insubria, Varese‑Como, Italy.
authors.forename: Eliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Piantanida
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sant'Andrea Hospital, &quot;Sapienza&quot; University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Motta
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Internal Medicine, S. Chiara Hospital, Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cecchini
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Garibaldi Nesima Hospital, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Padova
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lanzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecological Endocrinology, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scagliola
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecological Endocrinology, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gambera
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, A.O.S. Giovanni Battista, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Castellano
authors.affiliation: DiSSal Section of Dermatology, University of Genoa, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino-IST, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Aurora
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parodi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006628:Hirsutism / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult