Abstract
It is of interest to realize that polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has moved from a histology diagnosis of ovarian tissue to a heterogeneous clinical syndrome (characterized by abnormal menstrual cyclicity, infertility, hirsutism, and obesity), to a reproductive endocrine abnormality with elevated serum luteinizing hormone and androgen levels and, finally, to a metabolic disease characterized by hyperinsulinemia and dyslipidemia. This altered emphasis may have major implications for patient diagnosis and management, with a shift of focus from ovarian abnormalities and ovulation induction for infertility toward the prevention of long-term health consequences. This change is also represented by the involvement of other medical specialists in addition to gynecologists such as general practitioners, pediatricians, dermatologists, medical endocrinologists, and even cardiologists.
A consensus workshop organized in 2003 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, agreed to broaden the previous National Institutes of Health criteria for diagnosing PCOS by including the ultrasound diagnosis of polycystic ovaries. This wider definition will encompass a broader spectrum of this heterogeneous condition, facilitating future metabolic and genetic studies.
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Fauser, B.C.J.M., Broekmans, F.J., Laven, J.S.E., Macklon, N.S., Tarlatzis, B. (2007). Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. In: Diamanti-Kandarakis, E., Nestler, J.E., Panidis, D., Pasquali, R. (eds) Insulin Resistance and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Contemporary Endocrinology. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-310-3_21
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-310-3_21
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