Prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome in women with acne: hormone profiles and clinical findings

Abstract

Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder and is the leading cause of hyperandrogenemia in women. Acne vulgaris is also a common cutaneous manifestation of hyperandrogenism. Objective To determine the prevalence of PCOS in patients with acne and its associated factors with regard to the clinical and paraclinical findings. Patients and methods In this cross-sectional study, 118 women with acne referred to various clinics of dermatology were enrolled. A clinical examination was followed by a laboratory examination, including hormone profile and ovarian sonography. Confirmation of PCOS was based on the diagnostic criteria of the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the sonographic findings.  Results The subjects were 14-38 years old. PCOS was diagnosed in 57 (48.3%) patients by sonography methods, while, 71 (60.2%) patients were diagnosed as PCOS cases based on the NIH criteria. Around 54% of the patients complained of hirsutism and 37% of them suffered from menstrual disturbances. PCOS versus non-PCOS had profiles of prolactin (19.36±11.96 ng/ml vs. 17.31±9.29 ng/ml), testosterone (0.80±0.57 pg/ml vs. 0.93±0.98 pg/ml), and dehydroepiandrosterone levels (2.48±1.98 µg/dl vs. 1.97±1.02 µg/dl), which were not statistically different (p>0.05). The luteinizing hormone to follicular stimulating hormone ratio was significantly higher in PCOS (p=0.01). Conclusion According to the findings of this study, PCOS is a common disorder among women with acne. Although PCOS was expected to correspond with a specific hormonal profile, our study showed that most of the PCOS patients had normal levels of tested hormones. Therefore, we recommend that sonographic evaluation be one of the core examinations in the diagnosis of PCOS in women having acne.