Polycystic ovary syndrome: it is always bilateral?
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether patients with unilateral polycystic ovary showed different ovarian and uterine blood flow from those with bilateral polycystic ovaries, and to investigate whether there was a correlation between the ultrasonographic aspect and different hormonal parameters.


METHODS
An observational study.


METHODS
Sixteen patients with unilateral polycystic ovary and twenty patients with bilateral polycystic ovaries underwent clinical, biochemical, gray-scale and color Doppler ultrasonographic evaluation.


METHODS
The following parameters were evaluated: hormonal (luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), LH/FSH concentration ratio, estradiol, prolactin, androstenedione, testosterone), clinical (body mass index, 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 vascularization), in oligomenorrheic patients in the early follicular phase (cycle days 3-5) or in amenorrheic patients at random.


RESULTS
Significantly higher androstenedione plasma levels and LH/FSH concentration ratios were observed in bilateral polycystic ovaries. In unilateral polycystic ovaries, gray-scale and color Doppler ultrasonography showed different features in the affected and the unaffected ovary, similar to the appearance of a polycystic and normal ovary, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Polycystic ovary syndrome does not predetermine a single ultrasonographic and Doppler pattern.
Battaglia
C
C
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Modena, Italy.
Regnani
G
G
Petraglia
F
F
Primavera
M R
MR
Salvatori
M
M
Volpe
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010053:Ovary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color