A prospective study of the prevalence of the polycystic ovarian syndrome among Rajasthani women of Guwahati, India

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a heterogeneous disorder of unclear etiology, is an important cause of both ovulatory and menstrual irregularity and androgen excess in women. When fully expressed, the manifestations include ovulatory dysfunction, androgen excess and polycystic ovaries. It is recognized as one of the most common endocrine/metabolic disorders of women. This syndrome was first described by Stein and Leventhal in 1935 (Stein and Leventhal, 1935). PCOS produces symptoms in approximately 5% to 10% of women of reproductive age (12– 45 years old). It is thought to be one of the leading causes of female subfertility (Goldenberg et. al., 2008; Boomsma et. al., 2008; and Azziz et. al., 2004) and the most frequent endocrine problem in women of reproductive age (Teede et. al., 2011). The principal features are anovulation, resulting in irregular menstruation, amenorrhea, ovulation-related infertility; excessive amounts or effects of androgenic (masculinizing) hormones, resulting in acne and hirsutism; and insulin resistance, often associated with obesity, Type-2 diabetes, and high cholesterol levels (A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia). The ovaries appear polycystic on ultrasound is common, but not an absolute requirement in all definitions of the disorder. The symptoms and severity of the syndrome vary greatly among affected women. The present study was carried out between February 2008 to May 2010 at the Pratiksha hospital, Guwahati, Assam. The result reveals that polycystic ovarian syndrome is a true syndrome with varied manifestations in Rajasthani populations. With recent increases in understanding of the pathophysiology of PCOS and the recognition of the ultrasound in defining the morphology of the polycystic ovary, the syndrome has now been defined as the presence of two out of the following three criteria: oligo- and/or anovulation; hyperandrogenism; and polycystic ovaries with the exclusion of other etiologies. One notable findings of the study is that primary infertile women of the experimental group have irregular cycles. This finding conforms that irregular cycle is a common symptom of PCOS women.