Presence of polycystic ovary syndrome is associated with longer anogenital distance in adult Mediterranean women

AbstractSTUDY QUESTIONIs polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) associated with anogenital distance (AGD), a biomarker of fetal androgen exposure, in adult Mediterranean women?SUMMARY ANSWERLonger AGD is associated with PCOS in adult Mediterranean women.WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADYAGD is a biomarker of prenatal androgen milieu. Human observational studies have reported that associations between AGD and reproductive parameters in both sexes. Exposure of the female fetus to intrauterine androgens may be a risk factor for PCOS in adulthood.STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATIONThis was a case –control study of 126 women with PCOS and 159 controls between September 2014 and May 2016.PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODSCases were attending the gynecology unit of the ‘Virgen de la Arrixaca’ University Clinical Hospital (Murcia, Spain), and were diagnosed following the Rotterdam criteria. Phenotypic subtypes of PCOS were also assessed. Both prevalent and incident (newly diagnosed) cases were included. Controls were women without PCOS attending the gynecologic al outpatient clinic for routine gynecological exams. All women completed health questionnaires, and underwent physical and gynecological examinations, including transvaginal ultrasound and blood draw. We obtained measures from the anterior clitoral surface to the upper verge of the anus (AGDAC), and from the posterior fourchette to the upper verge of the anus (AGDAF). Gynecologists performing the AGD measures were blind to the status of th...
Source: Human Reproduction - Category: Reproduction Medicine Source Type: research