OVARIAN STROMAL HYPERTROPHY IN POLYCYSTIC-OVARY-SYNDROME

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the ovarian stromal area and clinical hormonal characteristics in women with polycystic o vary syndrome (PCOS). STUDY DESIGN: Twenty-eight women with PCOS (grou p 1) and 26 healthy women (group 2) participated in this study. For me asuring the ovarian stromal area, transvaginal ultrasonography was per formed on all women during the early fol licular phase of the menstrua l cycle. Venous blood was sampled from the women to determine serum fo llicle stimulating hormone, luteiniz ing hormone (LH), estradiol, andr ostenedione, free testosterone (FT), total testosterone (TT), 17 alpha -hydroxyprogesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and fasting insu lin and glucose levels. Two-tailed t and Pearson correlation tests wer e used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Women with PCOS were heavier , and their serum FT, TT and LH levels were significantly higher than in the normals (P < .001, P < .012 and P < .001, respectively). The ov arian stromal al en measured by transvaginal in the normals (P<.001). Only basal serum insulin levels seemed to correlate positively with th e ovarian stromal area in women with PCOS (r = .43 P = .09). CONCLUSIO N: Although transvaginal ultrasonography has played an important role in the evaluation of women with PCOS, we could not demonstrate a relat ionship between the ovarian stromal area and hormonal characteristics of PCOS. Therefore, transvaginal ultrasonography and hormonal paramete rs must be used as complementary diagnostic methods in women with PCOS .