Evaluation of Androgen-Dependent Skin Findings of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

The study conducted from November 2020 to February 2021 involved 208 females with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). It found that the most common skin manifestations of PCOS were hirsutism (93.26%), androgenic alopecia (91.80%), seborrhea (89.40%), acne (85.60%), acanthosis nigricans (56.30%), and skin tag (33.20%). Hormone values varied significantly between patient groups with and without each skin finding. For example, the androgenic alopecia positive PCOS patients had significantly higher free testosterone, fasting insulin, glycated hemoglobin, and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance values than those without androgenic alopecia. The study also found that 33.2% of PCOS patients had skin tags, which might be associated with insulin abnormalities. Despite its limitations, such as the lack of a non-PCOS control group, the study suggests that skin manifestations are important for diagnosing PCOS.