Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome affects up to 10 per cent of pre-menopausal women and is associated with menstrual irregularity, with some women having no periods at all. It can present during adolescence. There may be associated increase in hair growth (called hirsutism), acne and obesity-a syndrome called the Stein-Leventhal syndrome. Ultrasound shows the ovaries are enlarged and full of multiple small cysts, and blood tests may show that there is an increase in the level of one of the hormones required to stimulate ovulation (so that it seems that the ovaries are unresponsive) and possibly also an increase in the male hormone testosterone. The reason this condition occurs is poorly understood, but it may be part of the syndrome of insulin resistance.

A normal menstrual cycle can be imposed by using the combined oral contraceptive pill, ovulation can be induced by using the drug clomiphene, and the anti diabetes drug metformin may be useful to manage the symptoms of hyper-insulinaemia, where the level of the hormone insulin is raised.
 
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