Polycystic ovaries in childhood: a common finding in daughters of PCOS patients. A pilot study.
BACKGROUND
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a controversial endocrine pathology and, recently, it has been suggested that the condition is hereditary. The aim of this study was to prospectively determine in daughters of patients with PCOS, by ultrasonographic (US) and colour Doppler analyses, the incidence of polycystic ovaries and search any correlation with specific hormonal parameters.


METHODS
Fifteen prepubertal offspring (Group I) of patients with PCOS and 10 normal control prepubertal girls (Group II) were submitted to clinical, auxological, and basal hormonal assay. In addition all patients were submitted to US and colour Doppler ovarian and uterine evaluation.


RESULTS
Among Group I girls the prevalence of polycystic ovaries was 93%, whereas no subjects among Group II had polycystic ovaries. The ovarian volume (2.76 +/- 1.21 ml versus 0.87 +/- 0.46 ml; P < 0.001) and the number of small sized follicles (5.36 +/- 2.2 versus 0.75 +/- 0.92; P < 0.001) were significantly higher in Group I than Group II patients. In addition, a normal stromal score and an absent stromal vascularization was observed in the control group. The hormone levels did not differ between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion we speculate that polycystic ovaries in childhood may be considered a sign of genetic predisposition to PCOS and that environmental factors may express the adult clinical and hormonal presentation of the syndrome.
Battaglia
Cesare
C
Reproductive Medicine Unit, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 13, 40138 Bologna, Italy. battaglia@med.unibo.it
Regnani
Giorgia
G
Mancini
Fulvia
F
Iughetti
Lorenzo
L
Flamigni
Carlo
C
Venturoli
Stefano
S
D017668:Age of Onset; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D015995:Prevalence; D012016:Reference Values; D014463:Ultrasonography; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color