COLOR DOPPLER ANALYSIS IN OLIGO AND AMENORRHEIC WOMEN WITH POLYCYSTIC-OVARY-SYNDROME

The objective of this study was to determine whether amenorrheic women have more severe blood flow variations and clinical-endocrinological patterns in comparison with oligomenorrheic polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients. Twenty oligomenorrheic women (cycle length > 35 days; Group I), and 20 amenorrheic women (no vaginal bleeding for at least 6 months; Group II) were submitted to ultrasonographic evaluation of o varian volume, follicle distribution, number and diameter, color Doppl er analysis of uterine and intraovarian blood flow, hormonal assay of different compartments, and plasma evaluation of lipid profile. The nu mber of subcapsular small-sized follicles, and the ovarian volume, and rostenedione and luteinizing hormone (LH) plasma levels, and the LH/fo llicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) ratio were significantly higher in th e amenorrheic group compared with the oligomenorrheic patients. Furthe rmore, significantly lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and HDL/tota l cholesterol ratio were observed in Group II compared with Group I. I n addition, in Group II, higher resistance in the uterine arteries and lower impedance to blood flow in the intraovarian arteries have been shown. The assessment of ovarian morphology by transvaginal ultrasound and Doppler flow analysis of both intraovarian and uterine arteries i n patients with PCOS may provide an insight into the pathological stat e and the degree of progression of the disease.