Impact of the difference in diagnostic criteria for adolescent polycystic ovary syndrome excluding polycystic ovarian morphology.

Aim: Exclusion of polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM) from the diagnostic criteria for adolescent polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has been proposed. We analyzed the profiles of adolescent women with suspected PCOS based on the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSOG) diagnostic and Rotterdam criteria, excluding those with PCOM.

Methods: Thirteen- to twenty-one-year-old women with suspected or confirmed diagnosis of PCOS according to the JSOG and Rotterdam criteria were included in this study. Patient characteristics such as hormone levels and body mass index (BMI) were compared between the groups. Correlations between BMI and testosterone, and BMI and time to diagnosis were also analyzed.

Results: Twenty-nine patients were diagnosed with adolescent PCOS according to the JSOG criteria, and 11 patients according to the Rotterdam criteria after excluding the patients fulfilling the PCOM criteria. Serum testosterone levels were significantly higher in adolescents diagnosed with PCOS using the Rotterdam criteria than in those diagnosed using the JSOG criteria (p < 0.001). The obese group had significantly higher testosterone levels and a longer time from menarche to PCOS diagnosis. A positive correlation was observed between BMI and testosterone levels (r = 0.318, p = 0.014).

Conclusion: Although adolescents with PCOS diagnosed using the Rotterdam criteria exhibited higher testosterone levels, which is a typical characteristic of this condition, the JSOG criteria may be useful for the early diagnosis of adolescent PCOS, including suspected cases. The differences between the two criteria may reflect the natural history of PCOS and its different reproductive and metabolic phenotypes.