N. Quercia et al., NORMAL EXTERNAL GENITALIA IN A FEMALE WITH CLASSICAL CONGENITAL ADRENAL-HYPERPLASIA WHO WAS NOT TREATED DURING EMBRYOGENESIS, Prenatal diagnosis, 18(1), 1998, pp. 83-85
Classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) results from an inherit
ed enzymatic defect in cortisol synthesis and more than 90 per cent of
cases are due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. The androgen excess assoc
iated with this condition typically results in ambiguous external geni
talia in affected females. It has been shown that prenatal treatment w
ith dexamethasone is successful in preventing or reducing genital ambi
guity in affected females. Rather than treating with dexamethasone: so
me couples choose to terminate the pregnancy when an affected fetus is
prenatally diagnosed. We report a female with classicial CAH who was
born with normal external genitalia, although maternal treatment with
dexamethasone did not begin until 16 weeks' gestation. (C) 1998 John W
iley & Sons, Ltd.