What is polycystic ovary syndrome?

  Polycystic ovary syndrome is a frequently mentioned disease in the clinic and a common cause of menstrual disorders in women. Today, we are going to make a systematic study of this disease.  What is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome] Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (also known as PCOS, which is the abbreviation of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrom) occurs in young women, and according to statistics, 6-10% of women worldwide suffer from polycystic ovarian syndrome. The typical clinical manifestations of polycystic ovarian syndrome are scanty menstruation, hyperandrogenism and polycystic ovarian changes. Sporadic menstruation often indicates that the body is not ovulating, often less than 10 times a year. High androgenic manifestations include acne and hairiness on the face, and high androgen levels can also be detected in the blood. Polycystic ovarian changes are often diagnosed by ultrasound examination of the ovaries, with more than 10 follicles in a single section as the standard.  Clinicians diagnose a patient with polycystic ovary syndrome by looking at two or more of the following three criteria: 1. ovulation disorders; 2. hyperandrogenism; and 3. polycystic ovarian changes. Of course a strict clinical diagnosis also needs to exclude some other aspects, such as thyroid disease, hyperprolactinemia, atypical congenital adrenocortical hyperplasia, etc. These diseases may also cause patients to have amenorrhea and Kaohsiung’s manifestations.  What kind of other problems] Short sporadic menstruation is not harmful in itself, but sporadic menstruation is often due to ovarian failure to ovulate, so patients with polycystic ovary syndrome often have infertility problems, which does not mean that polycystic ovaries must be infertile, but the chance of infertility is relatively high.  With anovulatory menstrual cycles, there is a lack of production of corpus luteum and a relative lack of progesterone. Progesterone is protective for the endometrium. If the endometrium is stimulated by estrogen for a long time, it is prone to endometrial monoproliferative changes and even cancer, so endometrial cancer is also a long-term risk for patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.  Patients with polycystic ovary syndrome often have a combination of metabolic abnormalities, mainly hyperlipidemia, obesity, insulin resistance, and these patients are also prone to have diminished glucose tolerance (pre-diabetes) and diabetes. These are the long-term risks for patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.  On the obstetric side, patients with polycystic ovary syndrome are at risk for preterm delivery, gestational diabetes and co-morbid hypertension during pregnancy. Other comorbid risks include the development of nocturnal apnea syndrome, dark acanthosis-like changes in the skin, and depression and anxiety disorders.  How to treat] Different stages should have different goals. Do not expect a cure for the disease; a full range of treatment is needed, including diet, lifestyle changes, and medication.  First of all, for patients who have obesity, weight reduction through exercise, diet and other lifestyle adjustments is helpful for disease remission. It is also possible for some patients to regain normal menstruation through exercise. Exercise also helps to improve insulin levels in the body.  If you are unable to return to a normal menstrual cycle for a long time before having children, you can take oral contraceptives to adjust your menstrual cycle. Short-acting contraceptives are relatively safe drugs, and many patients have concerns about the side effects of long-term oral contraceptives, but in fact, for patients with polycystic ovary syndrome, the benefits of oral contraceptives outweigh the risks. Additional vitamin B12 supplements are needed when taking the pill for long periods of time. For patients with fertility requirements, they can try to conceive naturally first, and if they have difficulty conceiving for a year, they can consider using medications for ovulation control treatment. The most commonly used ovulation treatment for PCOS is clomiphene, and in recent years, letrozole has been increasingly used in ovulation treatment. If the first-line medications are not effective in promoting ovulation, further FSH and hCG injections can be used to promote ovulation. Some patients can also use ovarian perforation to assist ovulation if they are undergoing laparoscopic infertility examinations.  In patients with polycystic ovary syndrome who have completed childbirth, it is important to maintain the menstrual cycle and avoid the risk of endometrial cancer caused by overstimulation of the endometrium.  The study shows that the incidence of diabetes is 6.8 times higher in middle-aged PCOS patients than in the general population, so they often need the assistance of internal medicine, endocrinology and nutrition to manage their blood sugar, nutrition and weight control problems. The combination of apnea requires the assistance of respiratory, dental, and ophthalmology departments.