Objective: To determine a suitable standard of hirsutism for Chinese polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients living in Shandong region.
Methods: A total of 623 unbiased women from the general population in Jinan city, 131 PCOS patients and 84 controls from outpatients in Shandong region were studied with questionnaires, physical and pelvic ultrasound examination, body hair on 11 sites were evaluated, and 9 (lip, chin, arm, thigh, chest, upperbelly, lowerbelly, upperback, lowback) of them which were called hormone Ferriman-Gallwey (F-G) score and 2 (forearm, leg) sites of indifferent hormone score were calculated according to the score system described by Ferriman and Gallwey.
Results: (1) Both body hair F-G score and indifferent hormone score distribution mode in the <or= 40 years old population were un-normal and both the 95th percentages of score were 2. (2) The hirsutism was significantly higher in PCOS patients [48.1% (63/131)] than in controls [4.8% (4/84)] by F-G score >or= 2 (chi(2) = 47.68, P < 0.01), but no statistic difference by F-G score >or= 6 criterion (chi(2) = 0.64, P = 0.42). (3) F-G scores were declined with age increase. The hair score on the lip, chest, lowerbelly in general population were positively correlated with F-G score (r = 0.712, 0.594, 0.522; P < 0.01) and in PCOS patients (r = 0.879, 0.682, 0.710; P < 0.01), and on the lip in controls (r = 0.950, P < 0.01). (4) The correlation contingency coefficient between hirsutism (F-G score >or= 2) and lip, chest, lowerbelly site in general population was 0.461, 0.420, 0.489 and was 0.560, 0.532, 0.503 in PCOS group respectively.
Conclusions: (1) Both body hair F-G score and indifferent hormone score distribution mode are significantly different from Ferriman-Gallwey's report; according to our investigation the suitable criterion of hirsutism for Chinese women in Shandong region should be >or= 2 scores. (2) By F-G score >or= 2 standard, hirsutism is more common in PCOS than in control. (3) Lip, chest, and lowerbelly are the main sites to determine the hirsutism status of women, and the later two sites are more specific for PCOS hirsutism. Forearm and leg score can indicate hirsutism status in some degree but are not specific and sensitive for PCOS hirsutism.