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Updated: Jul 2, 2025

Fertility Preservation in Patients with Severe Ovarian Dysfunction
Published on: March 25, 2021
A comprehensive review of the new FIGO classification of ovulatory disorders
Adam H Balen1, Jennifer Tamblyn1, Karolina Skorupskaite1
1Leeds Centre for Reproductive Medicine, The University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Background:
The World Health Organization (WHO) system for the classification of disorders of ovulation was produced 50 years ago and, by international consensus, has been updated by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO).
Objective And Rationale:
This review outlines in detail each component of the FIGO HyPO-P (hypothalamic, pituitary, ovarian, PCOS) classification with a concise description of each cause, and thereby provides a systematic method for diagnosis and management.
Search Methods:
We searched the published articles in the PubMed database in the English-language literature until October 2022, containing the keywords ovulatory disorders; ovulatory dysfunction; anovulation, and each subheading in the FIGO HyPO-P classification. We did not include abstracts or conference proceedings because the data are usually difficult to assess.
Outcomes:
We present the most comprehensive review of all disorders of ovulation, published systematically according to the logical FIGO classification.
Wider Implications:
Improving the diagnosis of an individual's ovulatory dysfunction will significantly impact clinical practice by enabling healthcare practitioners to make a precise diagnosis and plan appropriate management.
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