Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a disease that occurs in 5 % of sexually mature women.

. Polycystic ovary syndrome is characterised by many little follicles in the ovary, which have lost their ability of growing into a mature follicle. For this reason, they remain at the preliminary stage and make the ovary look like a “Swiss cheese” on an ultrasound scan, with many holes, which would correspond to immature ovarian follicles here. In most cases, this problem is connected with a disturbed ovulation and, therefore, represents a common cause of childlessness.

. Other characteristics of PCOS are a male pattern of hair growth (hirsutism) and/or an increased amount of male sex hormones in blood (hyperandrogenemia).

. The clinical picture of PCOS is often influenced by overweight, which, together with insulin resistance, makes a connection between PCOS and metabolic syndrome. The metabolic syndrome comprises overweight (adiposity), high blood pressure (arterial hypertension), fat metabolism disorders (hyperlipidemias), vessel calcification (arteriosclerosis) and diabetes mellitus.