A Patient With Combined Polycystic Ovary Syndrome And Autoimmune Polyglandular Syndrome Type 2
January 2007
in “
Gynecological Endocrinology
”
TLDR A woman was the first known case to have both polycystic ovary syndrome and autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 2, suggesting a need to check for both conditions in similar patients.
In 2007, a 26-year-old female was the first reported case of a patient diagnosed with both polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 2 (APS type 2), which includes type 1 diabetes and autoimmune thyroiditis. She presented with symptoms including polyuria, polydipsia, acute weight loss, and amenorrhea. Her diagnosis was confirmed through various tests, including positive autoantibodies for GAD-65 and IA-2, hypothyroidism with positive anti-microsomal and antithyroglobulin antibodies, and ultrasonography for PCOS. She exhibited clinical hyperandrogenism without biochemical hyperandrogenemia, possibly due to increased local tissue sensitivity to androgens or ethnic differences. Alopecia was diagnosed as telogen effluvium, potentially linked to her hypothyroidism. Her treatment included insulin injections, thyroxine replacement, and cyclic medroxyprogesterone. The case highlighted the need for screening PCOS patients for APS components and suggested a potential autoimmune link between PCOS and APS, although the exact mechanism remains unknown.
