From today onwards, PCOS will be called Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome, here’s why.
A global Steering Committee of ten international experts has led a landmark change in the naming of PCOS, marking a significant shift in how the condition is recognised and discussed worldwide.
PCOS, or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, as it used to be called is a whole-body condition, not just a reproductive one, as suggested by the name PCOS. This condition impacts metabolic health, hormones, fertility and mental health, but the old name PCOS reflected only the ovaries.
This mismatch has caused confusion for patients and clinicians alike, hence the global push to introduce a new and more accurate name.
The new name, formerly known as PCOS will be Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome.
PMOS is a better reflection of the condition because of these reasons:
- More Accurate
- More scientifically correct
- Less confusing
- Improved diagnosis and research funding
Where did the old term ‘PCOS’ come from
This is not the first time the condition ‘PCOS’ has undergone a name change. The condition was initially known as Stein-Leventhal Syndrome, named after two gynaecologists from Chicago USA who published a landmark paper in 1935. This was the first publication to describe the clinical triad of polycystic ovaries and amenorrhea and clinical hyperandrogenism (being hirsutism) in a case series of seven women.
How exactly the name was changed to PCOS is unclear, but it seems to have evolved rather than being the product of any formal deliberations. The term PCOS began to be used by some in 1950s and began to dominate in the 1990s.
The Global Consensus
The name ‘PCOS’ did not reflect the full effects of the condition. This isn’t just one opinion but was mandated in an international study authored by Dr Michael Costello and other health professionals and patients who surveyed over 4000 women with PCOS and approximately 3500 health professionals across six continents.
The Result of the Survey
86% of patients with PCOS and 76% of health professionals supported changing the name to better reflect the full spectrum of the condition (Findings published in The Lancet).
How does this new name Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome affect fertility?
There should be a shift in correctly diagnosing this condition as the reason for infertility as it is very important to get the diagnosis right so that the best treatment can be then advised.
Announcement of the new name
The new name has now been announced in the landmark Lancet publication by lead author, Professor Helena Teede (Director of Monash Centre for Health Research Implementation) and co-authored by Dr Michael Costello (NSW Medical Director at Monash IVF), which you can read here.
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