How to Diagnose Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Cases are Presenting More Frequently

By Jane ehrhardt

“I see this syndrome frequently in my office, at least three to four times a week, sometimes in a single day,” says Mackenzie Woodson, MD, an OB/ GYN with Complete Women’s Care of Alabama. Affecting about five million women in the United States, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common causes of female infertility, according to the CDC.

Typically, PCOS is seen in women ages 18 to 35 with the hallmark symp- tom of irregular periods. The cause of the syndrome is unknown, though the problem rests with abnormal androgen hormones with small cysts forming on the outer edge of the ovary that fail to regularly release eggs.

“PCOS comes up a lot in other specialties, not just obstetrics because those with the syndrome often have metabolic syndrome as well,” Woodson says. “Those symptoms lead them to their primary care provider or an endocrinologist who may not immediately think to suspect the presence of PCOS.

“If a provider notices skin changes on the back of the neck, this can be a clue to ask for more information about the patient’s menstrual cycle and even check for prediabetes, which are all signs of PCOS and metabolic syndrome.”

On lighter skin tones, the changes on the back of the neck, called acanthosis nigricans, appear as a darkened area as if tanned in that spot. On darker skin tones, the dark patches present more as a thickened, velvety texture. Besides the neck, these anomalies may be found in the arm-

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 4) Mackenzie Woodson, MD