Women with Polycystic ovaries(PCO) are often overweight and obesity has been regarded as a possible basis for the development of PCO. This study was designed to evaluate the differences of the basic hormonal concentrations and sonographic features in obese and non-obese patients with PCO. We prospectively analysed eighty-six patiens with PCO on transvaginal sonography and twelve control women with regular menstrual cycle and ovarian morphology from Feb. 1994 to May 1996. Eighty-six women with PCO, of whom sixty-seven women were non -obese with body mass index(BMI) of < or =25(=group 1) and nineteen were obese with BMI >25(=group 2). Sonographic morphology of ovary was evaluated in PCO. Basal concent- rations of LH, FSH, estrone, estradiol, testosterone(T), prolactin, TSH and sex hormone- binding globulin(SHBG) in serum were measured. Although sonographic morphology of ovary was not significantly different between group 1 and group 2, number of small follicles was tend to increase in group 2. The LH/ FSH ratio was significantly higher in group 1 compared to group 2, but SHBG was higher in group 2. Conclusively, in obese women, obesity causes an increase in free androgen through the decrease in SHBG, which might cause a disturbance in gonadotropin secretion leading to the typical changes of polycystic ovary. In non-obese women, relative increase of LH/FSH ratio stimulates excessive production of androgen.
Body Mass Index* ; Estradiol ; Estrone ; Female ; Gonadotropins ; Humans ; Menstrual Cycle ; Obesity ; Ovary* ; Overweight ; Prolactin ; Prospective Studies ; Ultrasonography*

Female ; Gonadotropins ; Ovary* ; Ultrasonography*