Specific Dermatologic Features of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Its Association with Biochemical Markers of Metabolic Syndrome and Hyperandrogenism

    January 2011 in “ Yearbook of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery ”
    D. Thiboutot
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    TLDR Acne and hair loss are not good indicators of hormone imbalance in PCOS, but excessive body hair is.
    In a study involving 115 untreated consecutive women diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), researchers investigated the association between dermatologic features of PCOS and biochemical markers of metabolic syndrome and hyperandrogenism. The study found that the prevalence of acne, hirsutism, seborrhea, androgenetic alopecia, and acanthosis nigricans among the participants was 53%, 73.9%, 34.8%, 34.8%, and 5.2%, respectively. Acne was not associated with hormonal, metabolic, or anthropometric variables. Hirsutism showed positive associations with total testosterone, fasting glucose, and total cholesterol, and a negative association with age. Seborrhea was related to free testosterone, fasting glucose, and insulin. Androgenic alopecia had negative associations with free testosterone, low-density lipoprotein, and insulin. The study concluded that acne and androgenic alopecia are not reliable markers for hyperandrogenism in PCOS, while hirsutism is strongly related to hyperandrogenism and metabolic abnormalities in women with PCOS.
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