title: Polycystic ovary syndrome in patients on antiepileptic drugs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to discuss the prevalence of polycystic ovary (PCO) and Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in women with epilepsy (WWE) on valproate (VPA), carbamazepine (CBZ), or phenobarbitone (PB), drug naive WWE and women with bipolar affective disorder (BPAD) on VPA.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study included 190 women aged 18-45 years, who had epilepsy or BPAD (on VPA), and consented for study. Patients were grouped as Group 1 (n = 40): WWE on VPA, Group 2 (n = 50): WWE on CBZ, Group 3 (n = 50): WWE on PB, Group 4 (n = 30): drug naïve WWE, and Group 5 (n = 20): women with BPAD on VPA. All women were interviewed for medical, menstrual, drug and treatment history, nature of epilepsy, and seizure control. Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were done to compare results between the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-two women (52/190; 27.4%) had menstrual disturbances, in which oligomenorrhea was the most common (55.8%). There was a significant difference in the occurrence of PCOS in patients on VPA versus normal population (P = 0.05) and patients on other antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) (P = 0.02). There was, however, no significant difference in the occurrence of PCO between patients on VPA and the untreated epileptic women. VPA group (Epilepsy + BPAD) had a significantly higher occurrence of obesity than other treatment groups (P = 0.043, OR = 2.11).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study observed significantly higher occurrence of PCO in patients on VPA compared to other AEDs and the normal population. The importance of proper clinical evaluation before initiating VPA is highlighted.
authors: Department of Neurology, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors: Lakshminarayanapuram G
authors: LG
authors: Viswanathan
authors: Department of Neurology, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors: Parthasarathy
authors: P
authors: Satishchandra
authors: Department of Neurology, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors: Bipin C
authors: BC
authors: Bhimani
authors: Department of Psychiatry, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors: Janardhan Yc
authors: JY
authors: Reddy
authors: Srinivasa Ultrasound Scan Center, Shankarpuram, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors: Batchu S
authors: BS
authors: Rama Murthy
authors: Department of Biostatistics, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors: Doddaballapura K
authors: DK
authors: Subbakrishna
authors: Department of Neurology, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors: Sanjib
authors: S
authors: Sinha
keywords: Antiepileptic drugs; Polycystic ovary syndrome; epilepsy; valproate