WOMENS-HEALTH Messages for September, 1999: Re: Sister's polycystic ovaries and hyperandrogonism question

Re: Sister's polycystic ovaries and hyperandrogonism question

From: Patti Tessler, FNP (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Wed, 29 Sep 1999 16:22:03 -0500 (CDT)

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At Mon, 27 Sep 1999, Bindiya wrote: >
>My 17 year old sister has irregular periods and excessive hair growth,
>and has been diagnosed with polycystic ovaries and something called
>hyperandrogonism. She's being given a birth control pill and mild
>steroids. I don't understand exactly what hyperandrogonism is, and why
>the steroids; also, is this condition reversible? Thanks.

This condition used to be called Stein-Leventhal Syndrome, then Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCO), then hyperandrogenic anovulatory syndrome (a name that hasn't caught on much). Hyperandrogenism means that your sister has elevated levels of hormones of the testosterone family in her blood. Birth control pills are one of the most common treatments. Sometimes steroids are given as well. The rationale behind these treatments is to help normalize the hormone levels.

Some women with PCO also have elevated insulin levels, and some folks believe that this elevation may be the underlying cause of the other problems. Some women are taking insulin-lowering/insulin-sensitizing medications to help with the problem.

The condition does not appear to be reversible, although some women get some relief from symptoms through weight loss. But not all women with PCO are obese. Other symptoms include acne, extra hair, infrequent periods, infrequent ovulation/infertility, certain types of skin changes, certain type of ovary appearance, and elevated insulin and androgen levels. Not all women have all of these symptoms, and it's possible to have some of these symptoms without having the syndrome.

Two good online resources for PCO are the PCO chat, hosted on this website by Dr. Mark Perloe (see website for his next scheduled chat), and the PCOSA website at http://www.pcosupport.org. Also, Hershey Medical College has an interesting question and answer format at http://www.collmed.psu.edu/obgyn/pcos.htm. You might also wish to search the archives of this list for more PCO information.

--
Patti Tessler, BSN, MSN, RN, CS
Family Nurse Practitioner

Next message: Mia: "Re: negative pregnancy test"
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