title: Clinical, biochemical and ultrasonographic characteristics of Scandinavian women with PCOS.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim was to investigate the clinical, biochemical and ultrasonographic characteristics of Scandinavian women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and to see whether there were any differences between eumenorrhoic and oligoamenorrhoic women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty women aged between 18 and 40 years with PCOS were investigated in a prospective study. The inclusion criteria were polycystic ovaries (PCO), body mass index (BMI) >25 kg/m(2) and at least one of the following: testosterone >2.5 nmol/L, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) <30 nmol/L, fasting C-peptide >1.0 nmol/L, oligoamenorrhea or hirsutism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eumenorrhoic and oligoamenorrhoic women with PCOS did not differ in age, age at menarche, blood pressure, BMI, free testosterone index (FTI), insulin C-peptide or fasting glucose. A thicker endometrium and a smaller ovarian volume were found in eumenorrhoic compared to oligoamenorrhoic patients. There was linear association between BMI and the number of diagnostic criteria met.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BMI was associated with the severity of the PCOS. There were no differences in basic clinical and biochemical parameters between eumenorrhoic and oligoamenorrhoic patients with PCOS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Trondheim, Gudruns gate 9, N-7006 Trondheim, Norway. eszter.vanky@medisin.ntnu.no
authors.forename: Eszter
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vanky
authors.forename: Sigrun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kjøtrød
authors.forename: Kjell Asmund
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Salvesen
authors.forename: Pål
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Romundstad
authors.forename: Mette Haase
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Moen
authors.forename: Sven Magnus
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Carlsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000097:blood; D004717:Endometrium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008499:Medical Records; D008598:Menstruation; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D010053:Ovary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D002096:C-Peptide; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D013739:Testosterone