Polycystic ovary syndrome Health Article

Definition

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), formerly Stein-Leventhal syndrome, is a disorder in which women do not experience normal release of eggs from the ovaries, they have an abnormal production of male hormones, and their body is resistant to the effects of the hormone insulin. The disorder results in infertility, abnormal masculinization, and increased risk of developing heart disease and certain cancers.

Description

The normal function of the female reproductive system is complex, requiring the interplay of different organ systems. One set of important organs are the ovaries. The ovaries are two small structures contained in the lower abdomen, on either side of the uterus, that contain small immature eggs, called ova. Ova are stored within the ovaries in individual structures called follicles.

In a monthly cycle, a part of the brain called the pituitary gland secretes two substances into the blood stream—lutenizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). As certain levels of LH and FSH build in the blood stream, the follicles of the eggs begin to swell and grow, creating cysts. Eventually, the changing levels of LH and FSH cause one of the ovarian cysts to burst open, releasing a mature egg. This process by which an egg is released from the ovary is called ovulation.

Once a mature egg is released from the ovary, it passes into the fallopian tubes, tube-like structures that are passageways to the uterus. If sperm cells from the male are present within the fallopian tubes, they will join with the egg in a process called fertilization. The fertilized egg can then pass into the uterus and implant into the thickened wall of the uterus where it can develop into a fetus. If no sperm cells are present, the mature egg goes unfertilized and is lost, along with the thickened later of the uterus, in a monthly process called menstruation.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), first described by I. F. Stein and M. L. Leventhal in 1935, is a disorder in which normal ovulation does not occur. The term "polycystic" derives from the fact that the egg-containing cysts in the ovaries do not burst open, resulting in enlarged ovaries containing many swelled cysts. The reason for this problem in ovulation is unclear, however several abnormalities have been characterized in women with PCOS. First, there is a disturbance in the production of LH and FSH by the pituitary, leading to altered levels of the substances in the blood stream. There is also evidence that the ovaries do not respond appropriately to the FH and LSH that is present. Second, there is an abnormal over-production of male hormones, called androgens, by the ovaries and the adrenal gland. Finally, women with PCOS are resistant to the effects of the hormone, insulin. Insulin is a hormone made in the pancreas that is responsible for transport of sugar from the blood into the cells. While these abnormalities have been well characterized, it is unclear whether they cause PCOS, or whether they are a result the disease.