Original scientific paper
Clinical and Biochemical Characteristics of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Croatian Population
Dinka Pavicic Baldani
; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb University Hospital Center, Clinic for Women’s Disease, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Human Reproduction and Gynecologic Endocrinology, Zagreb, Croatia
Lana Skrgatic
; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb University Hospital Center, Clinic for Women’s Disease, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Human Reproduction and Gynecologic Endocrinology, Zagreb, Croatia
Marina Sprem Goldstajn
; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb University Hospital Center, Clinic for Women’s Disease, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Human Reproduction and Gynecologic Endocrinology, Zagreb, Croatia
Gordan Zlopasa
; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, University Hospital Center, Clinic for Women’s Disease, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Perinatology, Zagreb, Croatia
Sasa Kralik Oguic
; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb University Hospital Center, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Zagreb, Croatia
Tomislav Canic
; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb University Hospital Center, Clinic for Women’s Disease, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Human Reproduction and Gynecologic Endocrinology, Zagreb, Croatia
Amanda Nicole Piljek
; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine condition affecting women of reproductive age. There are many typical signs and symptoms that allow for the diagnosis of PCOS depending on the criteria used. Interestingly, ethnicity influences the extent of these signs and symptoms; therefore, the frequency of symptoms varies between different countries and ethnic groups. The prevalence of this syndrome in Croatia is unknown, and it’s clinical and biochemical
characteristics have not yet been reported. During this study, we used the Rotterdam criteria to evaluate 365 Croatian women with PCOS, and compared them to 304 age matched controls to assess the clinical and biochemical abnormalities that occur in PCOS patients. The mean age of PCOS patients at presentation was 26.1±5.9 years and of controls were 28.0±4.2 years. Women with PCOS has significantly higher body mass index (BMI) than the control group, although in both groups most patients had normal weight (76.2% vs. 87.8%). Abdominal distribution of fat tissue was similar in both groups. Menstrual cycle abnormalities were observed in 90.7% of PCOS patients, and ultrasonographic appearance of polycystic ovaries was reported in 97.3% of PCOS cases. Nearly 75% of patients with PCOS had hirsutism and 49.6% had acne. We recorded significantly higher serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (fT) and insulin, while the serum levels of sex hormone binding globuline (SHBG) and follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) were significantly lower than in the control group. Serum glucose values were not significantly different between the groups. In conclusion, chronic anovulation, hirsutism and ultrasound appearance of polycystic ovaries are the dominant features of PCOS in Croatian population. The majority of patients with PCOS had normal body weight. The incidence of insulin resistance in this group of patients is less than the previously described frequency in other populations of patients with PCOS and normal weight.
Keywords
polycystic ovary syndrome; hirsutism; obesity
Hrčak ID:
94989
URI
Publication date:
27.12.2012.
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