dihydrotestosterone
Last reviewed 01/2018
Dihydrotestosterone is an androgen formed by action of 5-alpha reductase on testosterone in some tissues. It is essential for the virilization of the male embryo and for subsequent growth of tissues such as the prostate.
When congenitally absent it causes a male pseudohermaphrotidism; in later life pharmacological blockade has a role in the treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy.