Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCOS, is a complex endocrine disorder that affects up to one in five women of reproductive age. The syndrome typically manifests with various symptoms, including menstrual irregularities, insulin resistance with weight-gain. There also is excessive production of androgens, or masculinizing hormones, resulting in acne, excessive hair-growth on the face or body, acanthosis nigricans, or dark velvety patches of skin on body folds and joints, and skin tags. According to the Androgen Excess Society, the most current diagnostic criteria for PCOS includes absent or irregular menses, the presence of polycystic ovaries as visualized by ultrasound and an increase in androgens detected either clinically or through blood tests.
PCOS Diagnosis on Birth Control
Assessing clinical signs visually provides vital information indicating PCOS. Such signs include visceral or abdominal fat, hirsutism, acne, acanthosis nigricans, skin tags and male-pattern hair loss or thinning. Though some symptoms are masked or suppressed by oral contraceptives, patients can exhibit symptoms even while using the contraceptive. Weigh yourself and measure your waist circumference. Being overweight and having a waist size of greater than 32 inches are warning signs. Look closely at your face and body in a mirror. Look for superfluous hair growth on the face and body, thinning hair along the forehead, skin tags and dark patches of skin in body folds. Any of these symptoms warrant a visit to your physician and preferably, an endocrinologist.
The use of hormonal contraceptives, while effective in reducing the androgen excess, may not aid in weight-loss or an improvement in insulin sensitivity. Most women with PCOS develop insulin resistance and consequent weight-gain. Such cases can be effectively diagnosed by an oral glucose tolerance test, which shows how quickly the body clears glucose after a sugary drink, notes an article in the journal, "Medical Clinics of North America."
Although the pill alters hormonal biomarkers, an ultrasound could reveal abnormalities in the thickness of the endometrial lining, size and appearance of the ovaries, morphology of ovarian follicles, and can also confirm the presence of cysts. This is usually the conclusive test of the condition, according to the "Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology."
Blood tests for dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, or DHEAS, 17-OH-Progesterone and serum, and free testosterone are useful indicators of PCOS in addition to other PCOS diagnostic measures. Ask your doctor about these tests if you are uncertain.