The Ferriman and Gallwey measured hirsutism in women by the degree of hair growth in 11 body regions. The hormonal hirsute score is based on the grade for 9 of these regions.
Sites:
(1) upper lip
(2) chin
(3) chest
(4) upper back
(5) lower back
(6) upper abdomen (above umbilicus)
(7) lower abdomen (below umbilicus)
(8) upper arm
(9) thigh
(10) forearm and hand (not included in hormonal score)
(11) lower leg and feet (not included in hormonal score)
|
Site |
Definition |
Grade |
|---|---|---|
|
upper lip |
no terminal hairs |
0 |
|
|
a few hairs at the outer margin |
1 |
|
|
a small moustache at outer margin |
2 |
|
|
a moustache extending halfway from outer margin |
3 |
|
|
a moustache extending to the midline |
4 |
|
chin |
no terminal hairs |
0 |
|
|
a few scattered hairs |
1 |
|
|
scattered hairs with small concentrations |
2 |
|
|
complete cover, light |
3 |
|
|
complete cover, heavy |
4 |
|
chest |
no terminal hairs |
0 |
|
|
circumareolar hairs |
1 |
|
|
circumareolar hairs with mid-line hair |
2 |
|
|
fusion of circumarealor hairs with mid-line hair, giving three quarter cover |
3 |
|
|
complete cover |
4 |
|
upper back |
no terminal hairs |
0 |
|
|
a few scattered hairs |
1 |
|
|
more than a few scattered hairs but still scattered |
2 |
|
|
complete cover, light |
3 |
|
|
complete cover, heavy |
4 |
|
lower back |
no terminal hairs |
0 |
|
|
a sacral tuft of hair |
1 |
|
|
a sacral tuft of hair with some lateral extension |
2 |
|
|
three-quarter cover |
3 |
|
|
complete cover |
4 |
|
upper abdomen |
no terminal hairs |
0 |
|
|
a few midline hairs |
1 |
|
|
rather more but still mid-line |
2 |
|
|
half cover |
3 |
|
|
complete cover |
4 |
|
lower abdomen |
no terminal hairs |
0 |
|
|
a few mid-line hairs |
1 |
|
|
a mid-line streak of hair |
2 |
|
|
a mid-line band of hair |
3 |
|
|
an inverted V-shaped growth |
4 |
|
upper arm |
no terminal hairs |
0 |
|
|
sparse growth affecting not more than a quarter of the limb surface |
1 |
|
|
more than a quarter coverage but still incomplete |
2 |
|
|
complete cover, light |
3 |
|
|
complete cover, heavy |
4 |
|
thigh |
no terminal hairs |
0 |
|
|
sparse growth affecting not more than a quarter of the limb surface |
1 |
|
|
more than a quarter coverage but still incomplete |
2 |
|
|
complete cover, light |
3 |
|
|
complete cover, heavy |
4 |
|
forearm |
no terminal hairs |
0 |
|
|
sparse growth |
1 |
|
|
more than sparse but incomplete |
2 |
|
|
complete cover, light |
3 |
|
|
complete cover, heavy |
4 |
|
lower leg |
no terminal hairs |
0 |
|
|
sparse growth |
1 |
|
|
more than sparse but incomplete |
2 |
|
|
complete cover, light |
3 |
|
|
complete cover, heavy |
4 |
where:
• Only a single value is entered for the extremity sites (upper arms for the upper extremity, thighs for the lower extremity)
• Grade 0 indicates the absence of terminal hair
Ferriman Gallwey hormonal hair score =
= (grade for upper lip) + (grade for chin) + (grade for chest) + (grade for upper back) + (grade for lower back) + (grade for upper abdomen) + (grade for lower abdomen) + (grade for upper arm) + (grade for thigh)
Interpretation:
• minimum hormonal hair score: 0
• maximum hormonal hair score: 36
• The higher the score, the more hirsute the woman.
• A score more than 6 in a Caucasian women indicates an abnormal hair distribution.
• Each ethnic group may have a different upper limit of normal.
|
Hormonal Hair Score |
Percent of Normal Caucasian Women |
|
0 |
33 |
|
1 |
20 |
|
2 |
21 |
|
3 |
14 |
|
4 |
6 |
|
5 |
3 |
|
6 |
2 |
|
7-8 |
1 |
approximated from Figure page 71, adjusted to give 100%
Purpose: To use the Ferriman-Gallwey hormonal hair score to measure the level of body hair growth in a woman.
Specialty: Dermatology
Objective: severity, prognosis, stage
ICD-10: L64,
