The difficulties of diagnosing PCOS – PCOS 4

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Making the diagnosis of PCOS in adolescents is particularly tricky. When girls first begin to menstruate (called menarche), cycles are commonly irregular and may not always be accompanied by ovulation. In the United States, the median age of menarche is 12.4 years. This period of irregular cycles often lasts for 2 years or more, and cycle intervals typically range from 21-45 days (average 32.2 days). This is quite close to the 35 day cycles defined as oligomenorrhea. Thus, normal puberty and the irregular cycles seen in PCOS overlap significantly. Over-diagnosis in this age group may lead to over-treatment and unnecessary worry. By the third year after menarche, 60-80% of cycles are 21-34 days long, typical of normal adult cycles, making the distinction easier. During puberty, there is a normal physiologic increase in testosterone levels that peaks a few years after menarche. Blood testing does not distinguish unusually high levels because normal levels are not well defined in...
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The difficulties of diagnosing PCOS – PCOS 4 was originally posted by Ketogenic Diet