Signs and symptoms
PCOS is said to be heterogeneous; that is, patients may experience a wide variety of different symptoms to a greater or lesser degree, and vary over time. Also, a uniform and precise definition of the syndrome is lacking. Women often go to their doctor because they are having menstrual irregularities, experiencing infertility, and/or are having symptoms associated with androgen excess. They may experience:
Hirsutism involving male hair growth patterns such as hair on the face, sideburn area, chin, upper lip, lower abdominal midline, chest, areola, lower back, buttock, and inner thigh
Weight gain/obesity, centripedal – fat distribution in center of the body
This article was last reviewed on March 26, 2007.
This article was last modified on April 8, 2009.
The review date indicates when the article was last reviewed from beginning to end to ensure that it reflects the most current science. A review may not require any modifications to the article, so the two dates may not always agree.
The modified date indicates that one or more changes were made to the article. Such changes may or may not result from a full review of the article, so the two dates may not always agree.
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