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Review
. 2021 Mar;50(1):25-42.
doi: 10.1016/j.ecl.2020.10.003. Epub 2021 Jan 11.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Ontogeny in Adolescence

Christine M Burt Solorzano  1 , Christopher R McCartney  2
Affiliations
Review

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Ontogeny in Adolescence

Christine M Burt Solorzano et al. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

The pathophysiology of symptomatic polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) often unfolds across puberty, but the ontogeny of PCOS is difficult to study because, in general, its pathophysiology is well entrenched before the diagnosis can be confirmed. However, the study of high-risk groups (daughters of women with PCOS, girls with premature pubarche, and girls with obesity) can offer insight in this regard. Available data support the hypothesis that the pubertal development of PCOS involves various combinations of genetic predisposition, intrauterine programming, hyperinsulinism, and numerous other abnormalities that provoke reproductive symptoms (eg, hyperandrogenism, ovulatory dysfunction) in response to the pubertal increase in gonadotropin secretion.

Keywords: Daughters; Hyperandrogenemia; Hyperandrogenism; Obesity; PCOS; Premature adrenarche; Premature pubarche; Puberty.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure The authors have nothing to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Hypothetical model for the pubertal ontogeny of PCOS. HA = hyperandrogenemia.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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