How is PCOS officially diagnosed?

Question

I have been treated for PCOS for about a decade now. But every-time I move to a new place, which happens quite frequently, the doctors always ask me how I was diagnosed with this condition or by what technique was this conclusion reached.

Honestly, I don't recall. I believe it was just my symptoms of being a female with lots of acne as an adult as well as extra hair patches and being in pain and fatigue. Maybe there was a blood test? I'm not sure. And later ultrasounds did confirm that indeed I did have many cysts on my ovaries, but what would have been the correct means/methods by which I should have been diagnosed instead of just going off of my symptoms (which is all I remember for sure)?

Answer 1

PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) is compound entity. It means that if you want to diagnose PCOS, the complaints (less frequent cycles, acne etc.) are not sufficient - you have to prove both the anatomical component (usually with ultrasound to describe the cysts) and the functional component (less frequent menstrual periods, androgen excess as measured by testosterone or similar hormones in the blood) of the disease. In addition to this, the physician can order other tests to exclude other pathologies with similar presentation. About your case, probably the physician that diagnosed PCOS was convinced by the ultrasound exam (he/she saw the cysts) and by your complaints. Maybe you do not remember, but often physicians in these situations order lab tests for hormones (FSH, LH, testosterone, insulin, blood sugar etc.), so check around for any laboratory findings in your medical documentation.