Virilism (Noun)
Meaning
The development of male secondary sexual characteristics in a female (or prematurely in a young boy).
Classification
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects.
Examples
- Virilism in female adolescents can cause excessive hair growth, deepening of the voice, and clitoral enlargement.
- The congenital adrenal hyperplasia diagnosis was characterized by virilism, in which her female genitals were partially masculinized.
- Exposure to high levels of androgens during fetal development can lead to virilism in genetically female individuals.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome often presents with virilism, resulting in male pattern baldness and hirsutism.
- The young boy's premature virilism was a consequence of his rare genetic disorder, leading to early development of male secondary sex traits.