Since 1935 when Stein and Leventhal described the pathology of seven women without menstruation, with hirsutism and with an increase in ovarian volume, the syndrome has been described under different clinical, analytical, histological and ultrasound criteria and this has greatly limited the evaluation of patients with this pathology since for a long time it was not known how we should define polycystic ovary syndrome.
The name PCOS is still an inappropriate name for a purely hormonal pathology, which does not associate, although its name indicates it, cysts at the ovarian level. It is the most common endocrinological disorder in women and affects 4-10% of women of reproductive age.
Ultrasonographically, patients with polycystic ovary usually have a characteristic image of the ovary, generally enlarged and with multiple small follicles located at the periphery, at the subcortical level.
At the present time, it is still not possible to identify a clear cause for the development of PCOS. We do know that there may be a family association, since the sister of a woman with this pathology has a 40% greater chance of presenting this disease.
An important aspect of PCOS is that patients with this diagnosis have a family history of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, so information on this subject and the recommendation of healthy lifestyle habits are basic in the therapeutic management of these women.
