ENDOCRINOLOGY FOCUS
35
PCS
Tip of the iceberg: the hidden health consequences of polycystic ovary syndrome Written by Lauren Madden Doyle1,2, Michael W. O’Reilly1,2 1. Department of Endocrinology, Beaumont Hospital 2. Endocrinology Research Group, Department of Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder affecting women of reproductive age, with an estimated prevalence of 6-13% depending on diagnostic criteria applied.1,2 The Rotterdam diagnostic criteria were introduced in 2003 and largely replaced the 1990 National Institutes of Health (NIH) criteria. As per Rotterdam, PCOS can be diagnosed on identification of two of the following three criteria: (i) oligo- or amenorrhoea, (ii) clinical and/or biochemical evidence of androgen excess or (iii) sonographic evidence of polycystic ovaries.
This was an expansion on the previous NIH criteria, which did not include ultrasound as a diagnostic factor for PCOS. Typically, patients report a constellation of symptoms which include features of androgen excess such as hirsutism, acne or alopecia, as well as irregular or absent periods, subfertility and in many cases difficulty losing weight. Traditionally, the health impact of PCOS has focused on reproductive dysfunction, with much emphasis on anovulatory infertility and oligomenorrhoea. In recent years, focus has shifted to the overarching associated
Lauren Madden Doyle
Michael W. O’Reilly
HOSPITALPROFESSIONALNEWS.IE | HPN • JULY 2022
