Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome is the clinical diagnosis in patients with excess androgens (increased male hormones that can cause acne, hirsutism, and alopecia), anovulation and irregular cycles, and/or insulin resistance. When viewed on ultrasound, the ovaries are usually slightly enlarged and contain multiple small cysts around their periphery.
Due to ovulation dysfunction, infertility may also occur. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common hormonal disorder in women, affecting an estimated millions of women of reproductive age. For women trying to conceive, polycystic ovary syndrome is a serious, common cause of infertility—almost half of all cases of infertility in women can be attributed to polycystic ovary syndrome. The term polycystic ovaries describes ovaries that contain many small cysts, usually no larger than 8 millimeters in diameter, which are most often located just below the surface of the ovary. These small cysts are follicles containing eggs, but due to hormonal disorders, these follicles have not developed fully and show stagnation in their development.
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a set of heterogeneous elements covering a wide range of clinical manifestations, from the mildest, such as menstrual disorders, to the most serious, such as the risk of developing diabetes mellitus. The first symptoms usually appear during adolescence, although in many women they may appear later. It is a common disorder that affects 10–15% of women. The symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome are:
- Irregular menstruation or absence of menstruation.
- Infertility
- Increased hair growth (on the face, chest, stomach, back)
- Oily skin and acne
- Abdominal pain
- Weight gain or obesity, usually with fat accumulation in the abdomen
- Type 2 diabetes
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Androgenic hair loss
- Hyperpigmentation and freckles
- Snoring and sleep apnea
We usually find one or two of these symptoms, varying in severity, in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. We rarely find more than these and almost never all of them together. There is no single test that can confirm the syndrome. A complete medical history must be taken and a gynecological examination, an internal ultrasound scan, a hormone profile, and a blood sugar measurement or, even better, a blood sugar and insulin curve must be performed. The diagnosis is made based on the results of all these tests.