Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: A Comprehensive Review of Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Management

The 2013 document reviews Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), a complex disorder with symptoms like irregular menses, acne, seborrhea, hirsutism, infertility, and alopecia, and its association with metabolic syndrome, including obesity and insulin resistance. It highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach for management, involving various specialists. The review details the diagnostic criteria for PCOS, including hormonal evaluations and ovarian sonography, and discusses the management strategies, which are symptom-based and include lifestyle changes, medications like Metformin, and oral contraceptives. It also covers treatments for specific symptoms such as hirsutism and anovulatory infertility, mentioning the efficacy of spironolactone, flutamide, finasteride, and eflornithine cream for hirsutism, and clomiphene citrate for infertility. The document emphasizes that there is no cure for PCOS and that treatment focuses on long-term symptom management.