PCOS

SALAM ILMU

sekadar pengkongsian ilmu buat semua especially wanita n also those yang ada wanita dalam hidupnya...jgn pndg kecik..sbb once u have it..its for da whole life...hmmm...


Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women, affecting an estimated five to ten million women of reproductive age. For women trying to conceive a child, PCOS is a serious, common cause of infertility - nearly half of all female factor infertility cases can be traced to PCOS. New medical insight into the disease has led to treatment options, including insulin-reducing ovulation medication (clomiphene, glucophage, Metformin), dietary changes (low glycemic diet) and surgery (ovarian drilling), which have proven successful and allow many women to overcome PCOS and conceive a child naturally, while reducing the risk of miscarriage. Women who undergo treatment for PCOS but are still unable to conceive naturally often turn to assisted reproductive technologies, including IVF, and experience high pregnancy success rates.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a common cause of anovulation and infertility in women. Women with this syndrome do not ovulate regularly and have ovaries that contain multiple small cystic structures, usually about 2-9 mm in diameter. This gives the ovaries a characteristic "polycystic" (many cysts) appearance on ultrasound.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome causes irregularities in the menstrual cycle, and sometimes a total lack of periods - amenorrhea

For comparison, an ovary with a mature follicle at midcycle in a woman that ovulates monthly.Blue circle is around the ovary, the black area is the fluid in the follicle. The follicle is mature size (here 20mm diameter) and contains a microscopic egg (not visible on ultrasound)

The basic problem is that although the polycystic ovaries contain many follicles with eggs, the follicles do not develop and mature properly so that they do not ovulate. Women without polycystic ovaries normally develop one mature follicle each month which ovulates (releases) one egg.

Women with polycystic ovaries are often hyperandrogenic as well. This means that their ovaries produce an excess amount of male hormones testosterone and androstenedione which can cause increased hair growth - hirsutism, and sometimes other problems as well, such as weight gain, diabetes, cardiovascular disease. The typical story seen in women with polycystic ovaries is irregular menstrual cycles, onset of hirsutism in the teens or early 20s, and gradually worsening excess hair growth.

When they attempt to get pregnant, women with polycystic ovaries will usually have difficulty. Some women with this disorder will ovulate (release a mature egg) occasionally, others do not ovulate at all. In order to conceive, sperm must be able to find and fertilize a mature egg. Therefore, they will usually need to undergo induction of ovulation to get pregnant.

The good news is that pregnancy rates are high for women with this condition. The large majority will be able to have a baby, if they will undergo treatment. Many will be able to get pregnant using fertility hormone pills to induce ovulation. This is often given by general gynecologists. About 75% of women with polycystic ovaries will ovulate with clomiphene, but only about 40% will get pregnant with it.

If this fails after about 6-9 ovulatory cycles, the next step is usually injectable gonadotropins. About 90% of women that do not ovulate with clomiphene will ovulate with this medication. The majority will get pregnant as well.

If this fails after about 3-6 ovulatory cycles, the next step is usually in vitro fertilization. The majority of women with polycystic ovaries that have not gotten pregnant with the above treatments will conceive with IVF.

...why me?