Adrenal virilism:
The development or premature development of male secondary sexual characteristics caused by male sex hormones (androgens) excessively produced by the adrenal gland. This disorder can occur before birth and can lead to sexual abnormalities in newborns. It can also occur in girls and women later in life.
Boys will gain sexual maturation faster than their peers, and girls can have male secondary sexual characteristic.
Hypersecretion of androgens – 17-ketosteroids
Children
6 year old girl
- Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
- Congenital deficiency of enzyme (unable to form other hormones in the adrenal cortex)
- Distortion of external genitalia in girls (resemble male genitalia)
- Precocious (early) puberty in boys
Adults
- Adrenocortical adenoma / carcinoma
Females
- Hirsutism (male hair)
- Oligomenorrhea (infrequent menstruation)
- Deepening of voice
- Hypertrophy of clitoris (resemble penis)
Males
- Feminization (Opposite)