Assessment of Anogenital Distance as a Diagnostic Tool in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

The study conducted on 126 women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and 159 controls investigated the use of anogenital distance (AGD) as a diagnostic tool for PCOS. It found that the anogenital distance from the upper verge of the anus to the anterior clitoral surface (AGDAC) was significantly longer in women with PCOS across all phenotypes, with P-values ranging from < 0.001 to 0.048. The highest diagnostic accuracy was observed for the oligo/amenorrhoea + polycystic ovarian morphology (O + POM) phenotype, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.62, sensitivity of 50.0%, and specificity of 73.0%. These results suggest that AGDAC measurements could be a moderately effective clinical tool for diagnosing PCOS, especially for the O + POM phenotype, and may indicate intrauterine androgen exposure. However, the study recommends further research to validate these findings in different populations.