Polycystic ovary disease

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Endocrine glands Pelvic laparoscopy Female reproductive anatomy Stein-Leventhal syndrome Uterus Follicle development

Overview Symptoms Treatment Prevention

Polycystic ovary disease

If you have polycystic ovary disease, you are likely to experience some of the following symptoms:

• Abnormal, irregular, or scanty menstrual periods (oligomenorrhea)
• Absent menses (amenorrhea), usually (but not always) after having one or more normal menstrual periods during puberty (secondary amenorrhea)
• Weight gain, even obesity
• Insulin resistance and diabetes
• Infertility
• Increased hair growth (hirsutism); distribution of body hair may be in a male pattern
• Virilization -- development of male sex characteristics in a female. This may include an increase in body hair, facial hair, a deepening of the voice, male-pattern baldness, and clitoral enlargement.
• Decreased breast size
• Aggravation of acne

In a pelvic examination, the health care provider may note an enlarged clitoris (very rare finding) and enlarged ovaries.

Tests include:

• FSH levels -- low or normal
• LH levels -- generally high
• Androgen (testosterone) levels -- high
• Estrogen (primarily estrone and estradiol) levels -- relatively high
• Urine 17-ketosteroids -- possibly high
• Vaginal ultrasound and, possibly, abdominal ultrasound
• MRI
• Laparoscopy
• Ovarian biopsy

Other blood tests that may be done as part of the initial evaluation to look for other potential causes of the symptoms include:

• Serum HCG (pregnancy test) negative
• Thyroid function tests
• Prolactin levels

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