A typical polycystic Ovary
As
one who suffers from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, which was the cause of my decade
long struggle with infertility, I am very much interested in any new development
relating to this condition.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS, affects millions of
women worldwide and is a leading cause of infertility.
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH). This
condition causes diverse symptoms, and its causes are poorly understood. The
definition and even the name of PCOS have been subject to debate. An NIH panel
concluded in January 2013 that the name focuses on a specific symptom - cysts
in the ovaries and this symptom is apparently not present in all PCOS cases.
This is part of the confusion about the condition, they say.
The Endocrine Society in October 2013, issued a Clinical
Practice Guideline (CPG) for the diagnosis and treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome.
In the CPG, The Endocrine Society recommends that a diagnosis be made if adult
women have two of the three main features of PCOS (diagnostic criteria
supported by the NIH panel):
§ Excess
production of male hormones called androgens.
§ Anovulation,
a condition where the ovary does not release a mature egg each month. This
causes irregular menstrual cycles.
§ The
formation of clusters of pearl-size cysts containing
immature eggs in the ovaries, which is called polycystic ovaries.
Well, I can safely say that my diagnosis was right as it is supported
by two of the above symptoms and I am indeed happy to say that this recent development will certainly allow
for more accurate diagnosis of this condition, so that proper treatment and
management can begin earlier.
The more you know……..
