What is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition that affects how a woman’s ovaries work.

The three main features of PCOS are:

1. Irregular periods: which means your ovaries do not regularly release eggs (ovulation)
2. Excess androgen: high levels of “male” hormones in your body, which may cause physical signs such as excess facial or body hair
3. Polycystic ovaries: your ovaries become enlarged and contain many fluid-filled sacs (follicles) that surround the eggs (but despite the name, you do not actually have cysts if you have PCOS)

• If you have at least 2 of these features, you may be diagnosed with PCOS.

Polycystic ovaries contain a large number of harmless follicles that are up to 8mm (approximately 0.3in) in size. The follicles are underdeveloped sacs in which eggs develop. In PCOS, these sacs are often unable to release an egg, which means ovulation does not take place. It’s difficult to know exactly how many women have PCOS.

Symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS):

If you have signs and symptoms of PCOS, they’ll usually become apparent during your late teens or early 20s.

They can include:

• Irregular periods or no periods at all
• Anovulation or Oligo-Ovulation
• Polycystic Ovarian Morphology (PCOM) seen on ultrasound.
• Clinical and/or Biochemical Hyperandrogenism
• PCOS is also associated with an increased risk of developing health problems in later life, such as type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol levels.

What causes polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)?

The exact cause of PCOS is unknown, but it often runs in families. It’s related to abnormal hormone levels in the body, including high levels of insulin. Insulin is a hormone that controls sugar levels in the body.

Pregnancy of polycystic patients:

Polycystic ovary is the most common cause of infertility due to lack of ovulation. The prevalence of infertility in women with PCOS varies between 70 and 80% and 50% of them experience repeated miscarriages. Despite recent advances in assisted reproductive techniques and ovulation stimulation protocols, the rate of conception, implantation and pregnancy in these patients is still low, and on the other hand, the rate of clinical abortion and pregnancy loss is high. They are often of poor quality, leading to lower fertilization, cleavage and implantation rates, and a higher miscarriage rate.

Treating polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS):

There’s no cure for PCOS, but the symptoms can be treated. If you have PCOS and you’re overweight, changing lifestyle special diets, losing weight and eating a healthy and increased physical activity can make some symptoms better. Medicines are also available to treat symptoms such as excessive hair growth, irregular periods and fertility problems. If fertility medicines are not effective, a simple surgical procedure called laparoscopic ovarian drilling (LOD) may be recommended.