Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): Making Sense of the Alphabet
PCOS is the commonest endocrinopathy of reproductive yearswith a quoted prevalence of 5-11%, depending uponpopulations studied.1 Despite being a liberally diagnosed, thedisorder remains relatively poorly understood. The syndromewas first described in 1935 as a conglomeration of symptomsof menstrual...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Dow University of Health Sciences
2011-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of the Dow University of Health Sciences |
| Online Access: | http://www.jduhs.com/index.php/jduhs/article/view/132 |
| Summary: | PCOS is the commonest endocrinopathy of reproductive yearswith a quoted prevalence of 5-11%, depending uponpopulations studied.1 Despite being a liberally diagnosed, thedisorder remains relatively poorly understood. The syndromewas first described in 1935 as a conglomeration of symptomsof menstrual irregularity and signs of hyperandrogenism(hirsutism) and of enlarged cystic ovaries. Currently, at leastthree nomenclatures are widely recognized for diagnosingPCOS, with a considerable overlap in the diagnostic criteria(Table 1).2 It is imperative to appreciate the heterogeneitywithin the population diagnosed with PCOS and to recognizethat PCOS remains a diagnosis of exclusion. The commonsystemic disorders that may mimic PCOS includehypothyroidism, hyperprolactinemia, late onset congenitaladrenal hyperplasia, androgen secreting tumors, Cushing’ssyndrome and exogenous androgen exposure; these must beexcluded prior to arriving at a diagnosis ofPCOS. - |
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| ISSN: | 1995-2198 2410-2180 |