title: Does metformin affect ovarian morphology in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome? A retrospective cross-sectional preliminary analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The significance of polycystic ovarian morphology and its relation to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is unclear, but probably it is associated with higher androgen and insulin levels and lower sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) in absence of identifiable differences in gonadotropin dynamics. The aim of this study was to evaluate ovarian morphology in patients affected by PCOS with different ovulatory responses to metformin.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional analysis, we studied 20 young normal-weight PCOS patients who had received a six-month course of metformin treatment. Ten of these patients remained anovulatory (anovulatory group), whereas other ten became ovulatory, but failed to conceive (ovulatory group). Other ten age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched PCOS subjects were also enrolled as controls and observed without any treatment (control group).
  
  
  RESULTS
  After six months of metformin, in both PCOS treated groups, a similar improvement in testosterone (T) and insulin resistance indexes was observed. Moreover, in one (10.0%) and nine (90.0%) subjects from anovulatory and ovulatory PCOS groups, respectively, ovarian morphology changed, whereas a significant reduction in ovarian dimension was observed in the PCOS ovulatory group only.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PCOS patients under metformin administration demonstrate a change in ovarian morphology closely related to ovulatory response.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University "Magna Graecia" of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy . stefanopalomba@tin.it.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Falbo
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Orio
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Venturella
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rania
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Materazzo
authors.forename: Achille
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tolino
authors.forename: Fulvio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zullo
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palomba