Urinary steroids in fifteen cases of congenital virilizing adrenal hyperplasia.

Since it was shown by Wilkins et al. (1950) that high output of urinary 17-ketosteroids in cases of congenital virilizing adrenal hyperplasia was suppressed by administration of glucocorticoids, the syndrome has been considered to be due to a deficiency in the enzymatic processes necessary for biosynthesis of cortisol. The most common type of the cases shows disturbances in changing 17ƒ¿hydroxyprogesterone to its 21-hydroxyderivative. If untreated, most cases excrete increased amounts of 17-ketosteroids and C21-methylsteroids, such as pregnanetriols and 17 ahydroxypregnanolone in the urine. What is far less common is a type called the hypertensive form of congenital adrenal hyper-