Endocrinological, ultrasonographic and clinical findings in adolescent and adult polycystic ovary patients: a comparative study.

This study was performed to compare clinical and endocrine features and ultrasonographic data of adolescent (< or = 18 years old) and adult (> or = 19 years old) patients with ultrasound-diagnosed polycystic ovaries (PCOs) in our Reproductive Endocrinology outpatient clinic. The adolescent group included 35 PCO patients while 125 were in the adult group. Hirsutism was present in 64.7% of the adolescent group and in 49.6% of the adult group. Menstrual irregularities were detected as oligomenorrhea (42.8%), amenorrhea (20%) and irregular but normal cycles (17.4%) in the adolescent group; the figures for the adult group were 46.4, 8.8 and 23.2%, respectively. These differences were not statistically significant. The mean body mass index of the adult PCO group was significantly higher than the adolescent PCO group (p < 0.05). The endocrine features (estradiol, follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin, total testosterone, free testosterone, 17-OH progesterone, androstenedione, thyroid stimulating hormone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS)) and the ovarian volume of both groups were comparable. There was a significant positive correlation between ovarian volume and serum LH, total testosterone, free testosterone, androstenedione and DHEAS in both groups. We conclude that polycystic ovarian syndrome is a disorder with perimenarchal onset, the clinical, endocrine and ultrasound features of which will not change by age, although patients are prone to gain weight as they get older.