Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Fulghesu, A. M.
• Angioni, S.
• Belosi, C.
• Apa, R.
• Selvaggi, L.
• Ciampelli, M.
• Iuculano, A.
• Melis, G. B.
• Lanzone, A.

Titel

Pituitary-ovarian response to the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone-agonist test in anovulatory patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: predictive role of ovarian stroma

Ist Teil von

• Clinical endocrinology (Oxford), 2006-09, Vol.65 (3), p.396-401

Ort / Verlag

Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Erscheinungsjahr

2006

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Summary Objective  To evaluate the influence of ovarian stroma on basal and poststimulus androgen secretion in patients affected by secondary amenorrhoea and polycystic ovaries (PCO) at ultrasound (US). Design  Prospective study. Patients  Fifty‐one patients with PCO selected from a group of 72 normal weight women aged 20–25 years affected by secondary amenorrhoea and 10 normal ovulatory controls. Methods  All subjects underwent US to evaluate volume, area, stromal area and stromal/total area ratio of both ovaries. Plasma levels of gonadotrophins, oestradiol (E2) and androgens were measured before and 24 h after GnRH‐a injection. 60 min after stimulus LH and FSH were also assayed. Results  Thirty patients had increased ovarian stroma (IS) and 21 patients normal ovarian stroma (NS). Significantly higher LH levels characterized the IS group, both basally and after GnRH‐a stimulation compared with NS and controls (P < 0·01). Baseline levels of androstenedione, testosterone and 17‐OHprogesterone (17‐OHP) were significantly higher in IS group. Moreover, 17‐OHP hyper‐response to GnRH‐a was demonstrated in IS group in comparison to NS and control groups (P < 0·005). Conclusions  Stroma evaluation may be of use in discriminating between different pathogenic factors in secondary amenorrhoea. This criterion may be applied to support the correct diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Indeed, in line with the most recently proposed guidelines, patients affected by multifollicular ovaries could be classified as PCOS. The possibility of taking into account more than one US criterion or of carefully reanalysing the significance of increased stroma volume should be considered.