Lipoid congenital adrenal hyperplasia, the most severe disorder of steroid hormone biosynthesis, is caused by a defect in the conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone, the first step in adrenal and gonadal steroidogenesis. All affected individuals are phenotypic females with a severe salt-losing syndrome that is fatal if not treated in early infancy (summary by Lin et al., 1991 and Bose et al., 1996). [from
OMIM]