Incidental discovery of neglected 11β-hydroxylase deficiency causing 46,XX disorder of sex development in a 35-year-old adult: A radiologically driven diagnosis
case-report
OA: gold
CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0
Abstract
11β-hydroxylase deficiency (11β-OHD) is the second most common form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), characterized by androgen excess, mineralocorticoid-driven hypertension, and hypokalemia. We report a 35-year-old individual with a 46,XX karyotype, registered and raised male since birth, in whom a disorder of sexual development (DSD) had remained unrecognized. Abdominal MRI performed for nonspecific abdominal pain revealed bilateral giant adrenal myelolipomas on macronodular adrenal hyperplasia and a retro-vesical uterus-like structure. On examination, external genitalia showed complete masculinization (Prader stage 5); dedicated pelvic MRI further demonstrated a markedly enlarged uterus with diffuse adenomyosis, in a patient who had never menstruated. Hormonal findings were consistent with classical 11β-OHD (DOC ∼140× the upper limit of normal, ACTH 12× normal, elevated adrenal androgens, suppressed gonadotropins, and absent AMH); CYP11B1 genetic testing, which would provide molecular confirmation, was not available. Glucocorticoid replacement normalized potassium and improved blood pressure, with ongoing multidisciplinary follow-up. This case highlights the radiological phenotype of neglected CAH in adulthood and the role of imaging in characterizing complex DSD when clinical signs alone are insufficient to reach a diagnostic conclusion.
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- europepmc
- last seen: 2026-09-12T06:55:35.949492+00:00
- pubmed
- last seen: 2026-09-12T06:47:42.855705+00:00
- unpaywall
- last seen: 2026-09-09T06:31:01.691765+00:00
License: CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0
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Courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine