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Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

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Menstrual Cycle Related Disorders

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Abstract

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a very common endocrine disorder of the female reproductive life, characterized by chronic anovulation and hyperandrogenism. Women with PCOS present menstrual cycle disturbances and signs of hyperandrogenism, such as hirsutism and acne, while many of them are obese, develop insulin resistance, and manifest metabolic disturbances, such as dyslipidemia, hypertension, and glycemic dysregulation. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss criteria and definition of PCOS, to present current epidemiological data, and to analyze the main hypotheses of its pathophysiology and, furthermore, to discuss the appropriate diagnostic algorithms with employment of clinical examination accompanied with laboratory and/or imaging modalities and to propose causative treatment of various parameters of the syndrome, including metabolic disease, menstrual disturbances, hirsutism, and infertility.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, “Aghia Sophia” Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Stavroula A. Paschou

  2. Unit of Reproductive Endocrinology, First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Dimitrios G. Goulis

  3. Unit of Human Reproduction, First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Basil C. Tarlatzis

Authors
  1. Stavroula A. Paschou
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  2. Dimitrios G. Goulis
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  3. Basil C. Tarlatzis
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Wake Forest SOM/WF Baptist Medical Center, Executive Director Women’s Health Services, Winston Salem, NC, USA

    Sarah L. Berga

  2. International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Andrea R. Genazzani

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York University, New York, NY, USA

    Frederick Naftolin

  4. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Firenze, Italy

    Felice Petraglia

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Paschou, S.A., Goulis, D.G., Tarlatzis, B.C. (2019). Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. In: Berga, S., Genazzani, A., Naftolin, F., Petraglia, F. (eds) Menstrual Cycle Related Disorders. ISGE Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14358-9_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14358-9_5

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