This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
PCOS diagnosis unnecessary when treating symptoms in adolescents
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
A diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome is not needed to effectively manage the underlying symptoms of the disorder in adolescent girls, according to a meta-analysis in Clinical Obesity.
Researchers from the University of Melbourne, the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, analyzed data from 17 studies conducted in the past 10 years addressing the diagnosis and management of PCOS during adolescence (girls aged 13 to 18 years). Analysis also included the Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline (ESCPG), a position statement from the European Society of Endocrinology, a consensus paper from the 2012 Amsterdam European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE)/American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) PCOS consensus workshop and a consensus paper from the Pediatric Endocrine Society and International Pediatric and Adolescent Specialty Societies (PES-IPASS). A subsequent manual review of reference lists from the included studies resulted in further inclusion of 154 articles.
Adolescent-specific guidelines have been proposed by several specialists; however, there is an absence of high-quality studies to support these models in clinical practice, researchers noted in the review.
“Consequently, debate continues over the balance between accurately diagnosing and treating PCOS during adolescence while being cautious not to overdiagnose the syndrome,” the researchers wrote.
Although some support delaying diagnosis in which PCOS cannot be established with certainty, the majority of specialists emphasize the importance of identifying PCOS during adolescence given the increased metabolic risks, the researchers wrote.
In treating the individual symptoms of PCOS, clinicians still target the underlying metabolic and reproductive changes that are associated with the syndrome, the researchers wrote.
“Throughout this review, it has become apparent that current guidelines recommend treating the individual manifestations of the syndrome irrespective of a diagnosis,” the researchers wrote. “This suggests that perhaps the label ‘PCOS’ does not need to be applied to effectively treat the features associated with the syndrome.”
The researchers called for large, prospective longitudinal studies to go beyond clinical studies or consensus opinions and formulate evidence-based guidelines for adolescents. – by Regina Schaffer
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts