Polycystic ovary syndrome: it is always bilateral?

Objective To evaluate whether patients with unilateral polycystic ovary sho wed different ovarian and uterine blood flow from those with bilateral poly cystic ovaries, and to investigate whether there was a correlation between the ultrasonographic aspect and different hormonal parameters. Design An observational study. Subjects Sixteen patients with unilateral polycystic ovary and twenty patie nts with bilateral polycystic ovaries underwent clinical, biochemical, gray -scale and color Doppler ultrasonographic evaluation. Methods; The following parameters were evaluated: hormonal (luteinizing hor mone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), LH/FSH concentration ratio, estradiol, prolactin, androstenedione, testosterone), clinical (body mass i ndex, Ferriman-Gallwey score), ultrasonographic (ovarian volume, number and distribution of subcapsular follicles, stromal score) and Doppler (uterine artery and intraparenchymal vessel pulsatility index, ovarian stromal vasc ularization), in oligomenorrheic patients in the early follicular phase (cy cle days 3-5) or in amenorrheic patients at random. Results Significantly higher androstenedione plasma levels and LH/FSH conce ntration ratios were observed in bilateral Polycystic ovaries. In unilatera l polycystic ovaries, gray-scale and color Doppler ultrasonography showed d ifferent features in the affected and the unaffected ovary, similar to the appearance of a polycystic and normal ovary, respectively. Conclusion Polycystic ovary syndrome does not predetermine a single ultraso nographic and Doppler pattern.