Polycystic ovarian morphology in postmenarchal adolescents

To evaluate the association of polycystic ovary morphology (PCOM) with ovarian function in adolescents and to determine its time course during two years of follow-up.

Prospective study.

Academic center.

Twenty healthy adolescents were followed from 2-4 years after menarche.

We performed annual ultrasonographic and hormonal studies. Ovulation was assessed during 6 consecutive months by measuring salivary progesterone levels.

Persistence of PCOM during the years following menarche; ovulation in girls with PCOM.

PCOM was observed in 40%, 35%, and 33.3% of the ultrasonographic studies performed at 2, 3, and 4 years after menarche, respectively. The concordance between ultrasonographic diagnosis at 2 and 4 years postmenarche (50%) was nonsignificant (kappa = 0.08). PCOM was not associated with abnormalities in ovulatory rate, menstrual cycle duration, lipid levels, or homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance. However, lower FSH (4.8 ± 1.3 vs. 6.1 ± 1.9 mUI/ml) were observed in girls with PCOM compared with those without PCOM. Similar T and stimulated 17-hydroxyprogesterone on the leuprolide test were observed in girls with and without PCOM.

PCOM is an inconstant finding in healthy adolescents and does not appear to be associated with decreased ovulatory rate or metabolic abnormalities in healthy adolescents. This finding suggests that PCOM may correspond to a physiologic condition during early adolescence.