Abstract
Study Objective
Although early diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in adolescents might
allow for earlier treatment and prevention of chronic disorders, incorrect or premature
diagnosis carries risks of unnecessary treatment and psychological distress. There
is no consensus concerning which diagnostic criteria to use for adolescents and current
criteria vary. The objective of this study was to determine whether using different
diagnostic criteria will affect PCOS diagnosis in adolescents.
Design, Setting, and Participants
Fifty-two patients aged 13-18 years with at least 2 of the following criteria were
included in the study: (1) oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea; (2) Clinical or biochemical
hyperandrogenism; and (3) polycystic ovaries on ultrasonography. Patients were then
categorized according to the 6 different criteria for PCOS. National Institutes of
Health, Rotterdam criteria, Androgen Excess Society, Amsterdam criteria, Endocrine
Society criteria, and the Pediatric Endocrine Society criteria. The characteristics
of adolescents who were diagnosed with PCOS were also evaluated.
Interventions and Main Outcome Measures
Forty-one patients out of 52 (78.8%) received diagnosis with National Institutes of
Health and Endocrine Society criteria, all with Rotterdam criteria, 45/52 (86.5%)
with Androgen Excess Society criteria, 36/52 (69.2%) with Amsterdam criteria and 34/52
(65.4%) with the Pediatric Endocrine Society criteria.
Results and Conclusion
This study shows that the choice of guideline used does have a great effect on whether
an adolescent received the PCOS diagnosis or not. For physicians using the broader
criteria, care should be taken to ensure the patient does not receive diagnosis because
of the physiological changes seen during puberty, which might mimic PCOS. For those
using stricter criteria, close monitoring of patients who do not receive diagnosis
is necessary to prevent chronic complications.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 09, 2017
Footnotes
The authors indicate no conflicts of interest.
Identification
Copyright
© 2017 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc.
