The Prevalence of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in ۱۴-۱۸ year old girls of Zanjan High Schools, ۲۰۰۸

Background and objective: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder among reproductive-age women. There is very little information about the prevalence of PCOS in Iran. With regard to the symptoms of PCOS which begin after menarche and regarding to its side effects on womenchr('۳۹')s health, we aimed to determine the prevalence of PCOS in adolescents in Zanjan, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive community based study, ۱۸۸۲, ۱۴-۱۸ year old adolescents were randomly selected from Zanjan schools. The presence of PCOS was determined by the presence of olygomenorea, hirsutism, acne and androgenic alopecia. For correlation between PCOS and obesity, BMI and central obesity was evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed using K۲ test. Results: PCOS was present in ۵۴(۲.۹%), hirsutism was present in ۱۶۱ (۸.۶%), acne was present in ۲۲۰ (۱۱.۷%), androgenic alopsia was present in ۱۳۰(۶.۹%) and menstrual irregularity was present in ۲۸۱ (۱۶.۹%) of the cases. The prevalence of central obesity and over weight did not differ among the studied groups. Conclusion: The prevalence of PCOS in our study was similar to the results reported from other societies. With regard to PCOS side effects, we suggest that the diagnosis and treatment of PCOS is better to be started from adolescence.

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Key words: Polycystic ovary syndrome , Hirsutism , Olygomenorea , Central obesity