What potential effect can adrenal hyperplasia have in females?

Adrenal hyperplasia, particularly congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), is a genetic disorder affecting hormone production in the adrenal glands. In females, this condition leads to an overproduction of androgens, which are male hormones. The excess androgen results in various physical characteristics typically associated with males.

The development of male characteristics in females can include symptoms like hirsutism, which is excessive hair growth in areas such as the face and body, deeper voice, and possibly adolescent virilization, where secondary sexual characteristics such as muscle development and fat distribution may start to resemble those of males. This effect is due to the physiological impact of androgen excess on female physiology, leading to masculinization.

Other options may also be relevant in some contexts—but the defining and most notable impact of adrenal hyperplasia in females clearly centers on the emergence of male characteristics, distinguishing this outcome as the most directly associated with the condition.