Is keratosis pilaris another androgen-dependent dermatosis?

Keratosis pilaris (KP) is a disorder of keratinization which affects the infundibulum of the hair follicle and results in horny plugs filling the follicular orifice. Follicular keratoses resembling KP are frequently found in association with other dermatoses such as the ichthyoses, eczema, psoriasis and pityriasis rubra pilaris; however, under these circumstances the aetiology is secondary to the underlying disorder. There has been one description of the natural history of KP which states that it develops during childhood, reaches its peak during adolescence, when it is more common in girls, and presumably involutes spontaneously as it is less common during adult life. Furthermore, the author proposed that the frequency with which KP is seen at puberty suggests an hormonal involvement. In addition to the pubertal peak, an increased tendency to isolated KP has also been noted in obesity. We have therefore examined obese and lean hyperandrogenized women presenting with hirsuties in order to determine whether the presence of KP is influenced by either hyperandrogen of obesity.