Poly cystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): Can We Unify Two Points of View?

摘要

Although PCOS is an extremely prevalent disorder in women and is likely to be the most common endocrinopathy, figures of the prevalence of PCOS in women varies considerably depending on how it is diagnosed (1). The reason for all the confusion is the heteterogeneity and wide spectrum of symptoms and signs in PCOS. In the United States, the predominant view is that the diagnosis is based on the finding of irregular cycles and anovulation together with androgen excess. This diagnosis is independent of ovarian morphological findings, but other disorders such as tumors, congenital adrenal hyperplasia and Cushing's syndrome, need to be ruled out. This was the view of a meeting of "experts" at NIH in 1990 (2) which has been referred to as a consensus meeting, but was never designed to be this. Using this definition, the prevalence of PCOS is thought to be in the range of 3-8% (3).