Implications of the 2014 Androgen Excess and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Society guidelines on polycystic ovarian morphology for polycystic ovary syndrome diagnosis

Association of polycystic ovary syndrome with mammographic density in Turkish women: a population-based case-control study

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to investigate the breast densities and Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System scores of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome and normoovulatory women and to determine whether these patients constitute a high-risk population for breast cancer.

METHODS

This retrospective case-control study was conducted at our institution between January 2022 and December 2022, involving patients diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome. Menstrual periods, hyperandrogenemic findings, and ultrasound reports of the patients were retrieved from our hospital's database. Patients who met at least two of the Rotterdam criteria were included in the polycystic ovary syndrome group. A total of 70 premenopausal patients over the age of 40 years, diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, and 70 normoovulatory women, matched for age and body mass index, were included in the study. The two groups were compared regarding age at menarche, menstrual pattern, gravida, parity, levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and estradiol, endometrial thickness, breast density category, and Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System classifications.

RESULTS

Patients in the polycystic ovary syndrome group had a higher age at menarche (12.7 vs. 12.3, p=0.006). There was no difference between the gonadotropin levels in both groups. However, the estradiol level was higher in the polycystic ovary syndrome group (p<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of breast density and Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System scores (p=0.319 and p=0.650, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Although we can conclude that the risk of breast malignancy is not increased in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome, the impact of the complex hormonal status of polycystic ovary syndrome on breast cancer remains unclear in the literature.

Current Guidelines for Diagnosing PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder of reproductive-aged women. Much of the confusion surrounding PCOS diagnosis stems from the broad heterogeneity of symptomology experienced by women with PCOS. The diverse features of the syndrome have led to a number of diagnostic criteria over the years. This manuscript describes each of the current composite criteria and individually breaks down each component. The importance of accurate diagnosis for both clinical care and research is emphasized.

Metabolic syndrome and its components in different phenotypes of polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy affecting reproductive-age women. Important factors in its pathogenesis are hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance, which lead to higher risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its complications. With the implementation of the Rotterdam diagnostic criteria in 2003, the group of PCOS patients became highly heterogeneous, with varying metabolic risk reported for different phenotypes of the syndrome. The aim of the present review is to assess the prevalence and severity of MetS and its components in patients with the four phenotypes of PCOS. A comprehensive search of Pubmed database was performed to identify studies comparing metabolic characteristics between PCOS patients with different phenotypes of the syndrome. The results of 60 studies published between 2004 and 2020 were retrieved and analysed. More adverse metabolic profile was observed in PCOS patients with hyperandrogenic phenotypes in comparison to normoandrogenic patients, as well as in classic phenotypes, defined by National Institutes of Health criteria, in comparison to newer phenotypes introduced by the Rotterdam criteria. In the majority of observations, normoandrogenic PCOS patients did not differ significantly from controls in terms of metabolic characteristics, although some East Asian studies reported more adverse metabolic profile in normoandrogenic phenotype in comparison to healthy women. In conclusion, metabolic abnormalities in PCOS seem to be associated with joint effects of hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance and visceral obesity. The differences observed between the four phenotypes of PCOS underline the need for individualised diagnostic and therapeutic approach.

Differentiation Between Phenotypes of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome With Sonography

Objectives:

To differentiate between the classic (A/B) from the nonclassic (C/D) phenotypes of the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with sonography.

Materials & Methods:

Retrospective analysis was performed upon 72 female patients with PCOS. All patients underwent transvaginal sonography. The patients were classified into classic and nonclassic phenotypes of PCOS. Image analysis was performed for the ovarian volume, follicle counts, follicle size, and endometrial plate thickness.

Results:

There were significant differences in the ovarian volume ( P = .001), follicle counts ( P = .001), follicle size ( P = .001), and endometrial plate thickness ( P = .001) between classic and nonclassic phenotypes of PCOS. The threshold value for ovarian volume, follicle count, follicle size, and endometrial plate thickness used to differentiate classic from nonclassic phenotypes were 12.5, 10.5, 5.25, and 5.75, respectively, with an area under the curve of 0.79, 0.82, 0.83, 0.77 and an accuracy of 75%, 73.6%, 79.2%, and 68.1%, respectively. The serum testosterone level and the body mass index were significantly higher in patients with classic than nonclassic phenotypes of PCOS ( P = .001, .04), respectively.

Conclusion:

Sonography findings can differentiate classic from nonclassic phenotypes of PCOS.

Breast cancer risk in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: a Mendelian randomization analysis

PURPOSE

The association between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and breast cancer remains inconclusive. Conventional observational studies are susceptible to inverse causality and potential confounders. With a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach, we aimed to investigate the causal relationship between genetically predicted PCOS and breast cancer risk.

METHODS

Our study included 11 PCOS-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms as instrumental variables identified by the latest genome-wide association study. Individual-level genetic summary data of participants were obtained from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium, with a total of 122,977 cases and 105,974 controls. The inverse-variance weighted method was applied to estimate the causality between genetically predicted PCOS and breast cancer risk. To further evaluate the pleiotropy, the weighted median and MR-Egger regression methods were implemented as well.

RESULTS

Our study demonstrated that genetically predicted PCOS was causally associated with an increased risk of overall breast cancer (odds ratio (OR) = 1.07; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-1.12, p = 0.005). The subgroup analyses according to immunohistochemical type further illustrated that genetically predicted PCOS was associated with an increased risk of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer (OR = 1.09; 95% CI 1.03-1.15, p = 0.002), while no causality was observed for ER-negative breast cancer (OR = 1.02; 95% CI 0.96-1.09, p = 0.463). In addition, no pleiotropy was found in our study.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicated that PCOS was likely to be a causal factor in the development of ER-positive breast cancer, providing a better understanding for the etiology of breast cancer and the prevention of breast cancer.

The polycystic ovary syndrome and gynecological cancer risk

This review updates the knowledge regarding the association between the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and the risk of gynecological cancer. We performed a literature review of clinical and epidemiological studies concerning PCOS and the risk of breast, endometrial and ovarian cancer after selecting information by quality of scientific methodology. It was found that evidence does not support a link between PCOS and breast cancer risk. There is an increased risk of endometrial cancer, while data concerning ovarian cancer are contradictory. Regarding PCOS and its association to cervical, fallopian tube, and vulvar cancer, the quality of evidence is heterogeneous. In conclusion, women with PCOS should be screened for endometrial cancer and more research is warranted to determine in this population the true risk of developing other gynecological cancers such as breast and ovarian.

Prevalence, clinical characteristics, and reproductive outcomes of polycystic ovary syndrome in older women referred for tertiary fertility care

OBJECTIVE

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in reproductive age women. The clinical symptoms of PCOS vary with female age, as older women tend to have lower hyperandrogenic symptoms and many regain regular cycles. In this study, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of PCOS among older women referred for fertility care, describe their clinical characteristics, and compare their reproductive outcomes to those of matched control group.

METHODS

A retrospective study conducted at a single reproductive center. All women aged ≥ 40, who were referred for in-vitro fertilization (IVF), between the years 2011-2015 were screened for possible inclusion. The PCOS diagnosis (was) made based on the Rotterdam criteria. The reproductive outcomes of the PCOS group were compared to those of matched control with tubal infertility.

RESULTS

During the study period, 1427 women, aged 40 years and over, underwent a total of 2124 IVF cycles. Of these, 72 (5%) women were diagnosed with PCOS. In 69 (95.6%), the PCOS diagnosis was made by a combination of polycystic ovary morphology (PCOM) and anovulation. Compared to women with tubal factor infertility, women with PCOS needed lower doses of gonadotropins, had higher number of retrieved oocytes (16.6 vs. 10.4) and higher number of cycles with embryo cryopreservation (47 vs. 22.9%). This resulted in higher cumulative live birth in the PCOS group (26.3 vs. 15.2%, p = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

PCOS comprised 5% of the infertility diagnosis in women aged ≥ 40; PCOM and anovulation were the most prominent features. The higher oocyte number resulted in improved cumulative live birth rate.