EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF CONGENITAL ADRENAL HYPERLASIA BY MEASUREMENT OF 17‐HYDROXYPROGESTERONE

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Abstract
SUMMARY: Plasma 17‐hydroxyprogesterone was measured by a simple radioimmunoassay technique in six infants, aged 3 days to 3 months, with congental adrenal hyperplasia due to 21‐hydroxylases defiviencey. Hormonal levels in this gruup were compared to those of twnety normal newborns and to those found inh sixty samples of umbilical vein blood from normal delivers. Plasma 17‐hydroxyprogenterone concentrations were markedly elevated in all congenital adrenal hyperplasia infants (range 544.7–1837 nmol/1, normal 3.03–19.06) at a time when urinary studies in some of these were either not diagnostic or inconclusive. In one infant whose cord blood was analysed, the level was also greatly reised. The data suggest that early definitive diagnosis of congenital sadrenal hyperplasia can be established by measurment of plasma 17‐hydroxyprogesterone.