Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Special Diagnostic and Therapeutic Considerations for Children

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine syndrome with variable phenotypic expression and important systemic associations and sequelae, including obesity, insulin resistance, infertility, risk of endometrial cancer, and possible risk of cardiovascular events. PCOS is recognized as a condition influenced by genetic and environmental factors and distinct manifestations in all stages of life, including the prenatal period, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Identification of this disorder in childhood and adolescence has received growing attention, in part because of emerging evidence of the benefit of early intervention, but the diagnosis and management of PCOS in children and adolescents can be challenging. Diagnostic and therapeutic considerations of PCOS in children are reviewed to enhance identification and evaluation of patients suspected of having this disorder. When a diagnosis of PCOS is suspected in a child but cannot be confirmed, a provisional diagnosis is strongly recommended so as to prompt ongoing monitoring with an emphasis on important early interventions such as obesity reduction.