Prevalence of the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Unselected Women from Benghazi- Libya
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): appears to be one of the most common endocrine disorders of women. it is the most common cause of unovulatory infertility (related to the absence of ovulation), affecting an estimated 100 million women of childbearing age worldwide1
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I estimated the prevalence of the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), as defined by the NIH/NICHHD 1990 endocrine criteria, in a population of 582 Libyan women of reproductive age reporting spontaneously in a genecology and obstetric outpatient clinic. PCOS was defined by the presence of 1) oligomenorrhea, 2) clinical and/or biochemical hyperandrogenism, and 3) exclusion of hyperprolactinemia, thyroid disorders,. Hirsutism and acne was considered as a sign of hyperandrogenism when persistent after the second decade of life, and hyperandrogenemia was defined by an increase in circulating testosterone. PCOS was present in (7.044%), hirsutism was present in (56%), and acne was present in (33%) of the582 women. The results demonstrate a 7.044% prevalence of PCOS, as defined, in a minimally biased population of Libyan women from Benghazi. The polycystic ovary syndrome, hirsutism, and acne are common endocrine disorders in women.
