Clinical assessment of body hair growth in Japanese women. The relationship between a grade of hirsutism and the menstrual status

: Three hundred and sixty-nine volunteer women and 308 outpatients were studied to clarify the criteria of hirsutism and the relationship between a grade of hirsutism and menstrual status in Japanese women. The body hair growth was assessed according to the modified score system described by Ferriman and Gallway. The menstrual status was classified into six groups based on basal body temperature. The hair growth score calculated in volunteers tended to be lower than that of western women in most sites. Therefore one criterion of hirsutism in Japanese women should be a score of more than 6 points in our system. There was a close correlation between body hair growth and menstrual status. As a result, it can be considered that the systematic assessment of body hair growth is useful in diagnosing and treating some irregular menstrual patients.