Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Adolescence

Abstract

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a syndrome of variable combinations of menstrual irregularity, hirsutism or acne, and obesity. It can be diagnosed in adolescence and has early childhood antecedents. PCOS is the single most common endocrine cause of anovulatory infertility and a major risk factor for the metabolic syndrome and, in turn, development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in women. Thus, it appears that PCOS increases a woman's risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Therefore, identifying girls at risk for PCOS and implementing treatment early in the development of PCOS may be an effective means of preventing some of the long-term complications associated with this syndrome. This article reviews the definition, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of PCOS. Definition Classic polycystic ovary syndromeThe classic syndrome originally was described in 1935 by Stein and Leventhal as the association of amenorrhea with polycystic ovaries in women, of whom about two thirds were hirsute, and one half were obese [1]. The term PCOS was introduced upon recognition of a broader spectrum of clinical symptoms and ovarian histology, including stromal hyperplasia with multiple subcapsular follicles. Approximately two-thirds of patients with classic PCOS have hirsutism (or hirsutism equivalents, acne vulgaris or pattern alopecia), two-thirds have anovulatory symptoms (manifested as amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, or unexplained infertility), and one-half are obese. Thus, only about one-third of classic cases have the full-blown clinical picture (Fig. 1). The laboratory diagnostic criteria for classic PCOS require biochemical evidence of hyperandrogenism with either a polycystic ovary by ultrasound or an increased serum level of luteinizing hormone (LH) or LH to follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) ratio. These criteria have proven to not necessarily coincide (Fig. 2). Nonclassic and atypical polycystic ovary syndromeIn 1990, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Conference on PCOS considered the implications of recent research findings for the diagnosis [2]. Fifty percent to 60% of those present concurred that the criteria for PCOS should consist of chronic anovulation with clinical or biochemical signs of hyperandrogenism that was not explained by other etiologies. This recognized the spectrum of the syndrome to include androgen excess in the absence of ultrasonographic and gonadotropic abnormalities (here termed nonclassic PCOS). NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author ManuscriptThe androgen excess of PCOS usually results from characteristic types of functional ovarian hyperandrogenism (FOH) or functional adrenal hyper-androgenism (FAH) [3,4]. FOH is gonadotropin-dependent excessive ovarian androgen production, and it occurs in most women with classic PCOS. It is also found in an equal number of hyperandrogenic women who do not meet the criteria for classic PCOS. It is characterized by 17-hydroxyprogesterone hyper-responsiveness to gonadotropin...

Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome: An Updated Overview

“…Although it was previously considered as a disorder of adult women, recent evidence suggests that PCOS is a lifelong syndrome, manifesting since prenatal age. In fact, according to the Rotterdam diagnostic criteria, the prevalence of PCOS in adolescents varies between a minimum of 3% (Hashemipour et al, 2004 ) and a maximum of 26% (Driscoll, 2003 ). However, the prevalence of the disease in children is still considered unknown (Kamangar et al, 2015 ).…”

Pathophysiology and Nutritional Approaches in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): A Comprehensive Review

“…According to the Rotterdam diagnostic criteria (Fig. 1 ), indeed, the PCOS prevalence in adolescents varies between a minimum of 3% and a maximum of 26% [ 7 ]; however, the prevalence of the disease in children is still unknown [ 8 ].

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