comparison of serum hormone levels by gender in pilonidal sinus disease patients

Background: pilonidal sinus disease (psd) describes an inflammation of the subcutaneous fatty tissue causing a pilonidal sinus, which can lead to pus collection and tenderness. we aimed to investigate the relationship between serum hormones, psd, and the associated factors in patients referring to khalij fars hospital, bushehr, iran, in 2017. methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted consisting of 50 patients with psd who underwent surgery in khalij fars hospital between february and may 2017. the patients with psd who consented to participate were enrolled and subjected to a review of their physical signs and medical history. the serum levels of luteinizing hormone (lh), follicle-stimulating hormone (fsh), total testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (dhea), and prolactin were measured. results: the level of sex hormones in female patients was significantly higher in comparison with males, except for testosterone (3.9±1.73 ng/ml in males vs. 0.35±0.17 ng/ml in females). the frequency of patients with normal serum levels of lh, testosterone, and prolactin was higher in females, whereas normal levels of fsh, dhea, and prolactin were more common in males (p<0.05). conclusion: elevated serum prolactin, lh, and testosterone levels in women might contribute to the development of psd by triggering excessive hair growth/hirsutism.