CASE REPORT: Recurrent maternal virilization during pregnancy associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome: a case report and review of the literature

Maternal virilization in pregnancy is associated, in most benigncases, with luteoma of pregnancy and hyperreactio luteinalis.Only a few reports relate this phenomenon to hyperthecosis orpolycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). A case of recurrent maternalvirilization during two consecutive pregnancies in a patientwith PCOS is presented. In both pregnancies, the deepening ofher voice, facial hirsutism and scalp hair loss began at theend of the first trimester and regressed 3–4 months post-partum.The patient underwent ovarian venous catheterization, and androgensecretion from both ovaries was found to be markedly high butsimilar, therefore ruling out an ovarian androgen-secretingtumour. Reviewing the English literature of similar cases, wefound reports of only seven cases of maternal virilization duringpregnancy associated with PCOS. Here, we present a case of recurrentmaternal virilization in pregnancy associated with PCOS.