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What is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)?
The Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) was firstly defined as menstrual irregularity, fatness and man type hairing by Stein and Leventhal in 1935. After Stein and Leventhal received samples from the ovaries of some of the women who had menstrual irregularity with the aim of diagnosis, they saw that these women menstruated. After they removed the 50% or 75% of the ovaries of 7 women with polycystic ovary, they saw that the menstruation of these women becomes regular and both of them can get pregnant.
Poly= Many in number in Latin
Cystic= What includes cyst
Ovary= Ovary tissue
Polycystic Ovary= It means ovary tissue which includes many cysts.
Various names such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Sclerocystic ovary syndrome, functional ovary hyperandrogenism and Stein-Leventhal syndrome are given.
Polycystic ovary (PCO) and Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are different concepts.
PCO (Polycystic ovary) is that woman has ultrasonographically small egg sacs more than 10-15 in 2-8 mm diameter which are arranged like a pearl necklace.
PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) is a hormonal disorder that also includes the indications such as menstrual irregularity, fatness, hairing and infertility with the PCO (Polycytsic ovary).
PCOS indications vary in women. While there are indication such as hairing, fatness and menstrual irregularity in women who come to doctor, there are also women who have only PCO. There may be PCO (Polycystic ovary) in women who have not any hairing or menstrual irregularity. In women who have PCOS, hormonal disorders such as having much testosterone (Men hormone), insulin, prolactin (milk hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone) are seen. These hormonal disorders have negative effects on the health of women in long period. The woman who has PCOS is supposed to have the same risks in her family and so some genes are responsible for this. It is unknown that the polycystic ovary syndrome begins in which period of the woman’s life. Some researches suggest as in mother’s womb and some others suggest as in adolescence period.