ESPE Abstracts

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) represents one of the most common complains for adolescent girls to present to endocrinologist. PCOS has the potential to affect the young person both metabolically, physically, psychologically and socially.

Objective: To evaluate the metabolic and psychological consequences of PCOS in adolescent girls.

Method: Adolescent girls admitted in the Endocrinology Department of Children Emergency Hospital, Timisoara for a period of 4 years were studied. They were evaluated after a complex protocol: clinically (blood pressure), anthropometric (height, weight, BMI), hormonal (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, LH, FSH, SHBG, FAI), metabolic (glucose, OGTT, insulin, HOMA and lipid profile), ultrasound (polycystic ovaries) and psychological.

Results: Out of 51 adolescent girls (mean age 17.1±1.8 years) diagnosed with PCOS according to Rotterdam criteria, 70.58% of them had a body mass index higher than 75% percentiles for age, 9.80% were obese, while 37.52% were hypertension. Hirsutism and acne were encountered in 72.54% of adolescents, 58.82% had polycystic ovaries on ultrasound and 90.19% were associated with irregular cycle. Oral glucose tolerance test was altered in 64.70% patients, hyperinsulinaemia was found in 29.41% of them. Dyslipaemia was identified in 33.33% patients, moderate hepatosteatosis in 43.13% of them, while the metabolic syndrome was diagnosed in 25.49% cases. Anxiety (56.86%), depression (45%), eating disorders (52.94%) and reduced quality of life (80.39%) were also common in this group. Metformin was prescribed at adolescents diagnosed with insulin resistance (64.70%) and psychotherapy recommended in the majority of cases.

Conclusion: Successful management of adolescent girls with PCOS consisted in the challenges of making the diagnosis of PCOS, lifestyle change, metformin treatment and psychotherapy.