R. Jeffrey Chang - Böcker

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome discussesthe use of animal models in the study of PCOS the occurrence of ovarian and adrenal abnormalities, cardiovascular risks, abnormal insulin secretion, and endothelial dysfunction in PCOS modern therapeutic modalities, such as manipulation of diet and lifestyle, metabolic phenotyping, and treatment of hyperandrogenism the effect of PCOS on long-term healthExploring the direct and indirect effects of PCOS in each stage of life, from puberty and adolescence to adulthood, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is an in-depth and illuminating source for obstetricians and gynecologists; medical, reproductive, and pediatric endocrinologists; practitioners in family, internal, and pediatric medicine; epidemiologists; developmental biologists and toxicologists; and scientists and medical students in these disciplines.

The term polycystic ovary syndrome (peOS) is meant to describe a clinical endocrinopathy characterized by menstrual irregularity and evidence of hyperandrogenism. While recognized since the 1800s, a clinical composite was not constructed until 1935 when Stein and Leventhal reported their findings of seven women with infertility, menstrual dysfunction, hirsutism, and enlarged ovaries. Notably, the ovaries contained numerous multiple cysts and the ovarian capsule was thickened. At the time, this preciseness of definition was sufficient to entitle the entity Stein-Leventhal syndrome. Subsequently, over the intervening years as investigators attempted to un­ ravel the pathophysiology and genesis of this disorder and the number of reported studies increased, there ensued a gradual and distinct terminologic conversion to polycystic ovary syndrome, which, whether intentional or not, connoted a less well-defined condition. Perhaps this is appropriately so, given the seemingly broadening spectrum of clinical presentations and the continuing debate over what constitutes peos. The expansive new knowledge about peos was discussed to a significant degree at an international symposium organized by Serono Symposia USA and held in Boston in the late spring of 1995. Ovarian physiology, including the fate of the follicular unit, was a central focus with several presentations on the genesis, growth, and death of ovarian cellular components. A discus­ sion of the regulation of ovarian cell function was also highlighted and comprised a major portion of the program.

All four editors of this title are extremely prominent in the field of PCOS. Although they are all U.S.-based, they are internationally renowned. The book includes the latest diagnostic criteria for PCOS, and comprises the most up to date information about the genetic features and pathogenesis of PCOS.The diagnostic criteria for PCOS took shape in 1990 following an NIH conference co-organized by Dr. Dunaif, resulting in her classic volume, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (1992). That title recommended diagnostic criteria of hyperandrogenism and chronic anovulation with the exclusion of specific disorder of the ovary, adrenal, and pituitary. These criteria dominated the field but were revised in 2003 by a working group of international experts at a conference in Rotterdam. Since then, it has become increasingly clear over the past several years that PCOS is a complex genetic disease resulting from the interaction of susceptibility genes and environmental factors. This volume critically reviews the methodological approaches and the evidence for various PCOS susceptibility genes. Additional familial phenotypes of PCOS and their potential genetic basis are also discussed. In all, this title is comprehensive and replete with the latest in expert recommendations on PCOS. This expert opinion remains critical to guiding practice in PCOS because sufficient data for evidence-based guidelines remains scarce.