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Diagnosis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: AMH in combination with clinical symptoms

  • Assisted Reproduction Technologies
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Abstract

Purpose

We assessed the utility of using anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and clinical features of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM), oligo/amenorrhea (OA), and hyperandrogenism (HA) for diagnosing PCOS, and compared their diagnostic accuracy with those of classical diagnostic systems.

Methods

A total of 606 females were admitted to a university hospital with menstrual irregularities or symptoms of hyperandrogenism were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Fasting blood samples were collected. Pelvic and/or abdominal ultrasonography and clinical examination were performed. Patients were evaluated for the presence of PCOS according to conventional diagnostic criteria. The diagnostic performance of using serum AMH levels alone and in various combinations with the clinical features of PCOM, OA, and HA were investigated.

Results

For the diagnosis of PCOS, the combination of OA and/or HA with AMH showed 83 % sensitivity and 100 % specificity according to the Rotterdam criteria; 83 % sensitivity and 89 % specificity according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) criteria; and 82 % sensitivity and 93.5 % specificity according to the Androgen Excess Society (AES) criteria.

Conclusions

The serum AMH level is a useful diagnostic marker for PCOS and is correlated with conventional diagnostic criteria. The combination of AMH level with OA and/or HA markedly increased the clinical scope for PCOS diagnosis and can be introduced as a possible objective criterion for the diagnosis of this disease.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Scott Mathyk, Begum Aydogan MD, Metehan Imamoglu MD, Yasemin Kurban, Kiymet Guler for their sincere support and technical assistance.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Istanbul University, Kizilelma Caddesi, No: 35/1, Fatih, 34300, Istanbul, Turkey

    Sezai Sahmay & Levent M. Senturk

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medico Social Unit, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Yavuz Aydin

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Mahmut Oncul

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  1. Sezai Sahmay
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  2. Yavuz Aydin
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  4. Levent M. Senturk
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Correspondence to Sezai Sahmay.

Additional information

Capsule Serum AMH levels alone is a useful marker for diagnosis of PCOS. The combination of the serum AMH level with HA and/or OA markedly increases the diagnostic capability for PCOS and can be introduced as an objective and well structured criterion.

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Sahmay, S., Aydin, Y., Oncul, M. et al. Diagnosis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: AMH in combination with clinical symptoms. J Assist Reprod Genet 31, 213–220 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-013-0149-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-013-0149-0

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