PCOS Flashcards
What might serum free testosterone be in PCOS?
Elevated
What is polycystic ovarian syndrome?
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) includes symptoms of hyper-androgenism, presence of hyper-androgenaemia, oligo-/anovulation, and polycystic ovarian morphology on ultrasound.
Cause is idiopathic.
Risk factors for development of PCOS
- Genetics
- Smoking
- High levels of LH - hyperandogenism
- Hyperinsulinaemia - obesity, DM
Thought to be hereditary but gene not identified.
Why can those with PCOS present with diabetes?
Due to insulin resisntance
Why does someone with PCOS have increased androgen production?
- Hyperinsulinaemia stimulates androgen production and inhibits production of sex hormone binding globulin - increases circulating levels fo free androgens
- Excessive LH production
What disease processes are associated with PCOS?
- Metabolic syndrome
- T2DM
- Sleep apnoea
- Obesity
What are symptoms of PCOS?
Typical presentation: usually with oligomenorrhoea +/- hirtusim, acne and subfertility
-
Androgenic symptoms
- Hirsutism,
- Acne,
- Scalp hair loss, alopecia
- Central obesity
- Oligo/amenorrhoea
- Weight gain due to DM association
- Acanthosis nigricans - due to insulin resistance
- Infertility
- First trimester miscarriage
- Features of diabetes - polyuria, polydipsia, visual distrurbance
What is the following?
Acanthosis nigricans - related to insulin resistance
Mainly occurs in skin folds of skin (in axilla, groin and back of neck)
What might you see on examination of someone with PCOS?
- Hirsutism, acne, alopecia
- Hypertension
- Acanthosis nigricans
- Sweating/oily skin
What investigations would you consider doing in someone with suspected PCOS?
-
Bloods -
- Diagnosis - Free testosterone, Sex hormone binding gloulin, androgen free index*, DHEAS, Fasting lipids
- Exclude other causes of oligo/amenorrhoea - prolactin, TFTs, LH and FSH, 17-hydroxyprogesterone
- Imaging - Pelvic USS
- Other - OGTT
*Free androgen index = a ratio used to determine abnormal androgen status in humans. The ratio is the total testosterone level divided by the sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) level, and then multiplying by a constant, usually 100.
What is DHEAS?
Serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate - may be elevated in PCOS
What might you find when investigating 17-hydroxyprogesterone in someone with suspected PCOS?
>24 nanomol/L - indicates adrenal hyperplasia/androgen secreting tumous
Why might you do a serum prolactin level in someone with PCOS?
To exclude hyperprolactinamia as a cause of amenorrhoea
Why might you perform TFTs in someone with suspected PCOS?
Exclude hypothyroidism as a cause of amenorrhoea
Why might you do an OGTT in someone with suspected PCOS?
Check for diabetes