Defining polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract

New criteria say that hyperandrogenism and ovarian dysfunction are needed Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a well recognised and common condition that causes considerable morbidity. It comprises a group of signs and symptoms, and several attempts have been made to reach consensus on its definition. The latest proposed definition comes from a new group, the Androgen Excess and PCOS Society, which has reviewed the literature on the defining features of the syndrome.1 The original case series described seven women who had enlarged polycystic ovaries and amenorrhoea.2 The cardinal symptoms were subsequently recognised to be chronic anovulation (oligomenorrhoea or amenorrhoea) and hyperandrogenism (usually hirsutism, acne, and sometimes alopecia). These symptoms were combined in a definition produced by a consensus agreement supported by the US National Institutes of Health.3 In Europe and Australasia, ovarian imaging by ultrasound became an important component in the diagnosis, largely because ovarian morphology was part of the original description of the disease. To gain transatlantic harmony, the European …