How are polycystic ovaries diagnosed by ultrasound?
An ultrasound of the ovaries is usually done transvaginally — where a probe is placed into the vagina to gain view of the ovaries. In young unmarried girls, an abdominal ultrasound may be needed, but this tends not to give as clear a view. A classic PCOS ovary is enlarged and has numerous small cysts or pearls. These pearls may be arranged in a ‘necklace’ or may be scattered throughout the ovary. The cysts are usually 8-10 in number and have sizes less than 10mm. The polycystic ovary tends to be enlarged to 1.5-3 times the size of a normal ovary and often has an increase in the stromal tissue in the center of the ovary and around the follicles.
An ultrasound of the ovaries is usually done transvaginally where a probe is placed into the vagina to gain view of the ovaries. In some cases, an abdominal ultrasound may be needed as well, but this tends not to give as clear a view. A classic PCOS ovary is enlarged and has a “string of pearls” appearance, where the pearls are the cysts. Usually ultrasound diagnosis of polycystic ovaries is made if there are at least 8-10 cysts that are less than 10mm in size on each ovary. It is not known how long each individual cyst will last, or what caused the arrested development of the follicle leading to the formation of the cyst in the first place. The polycystic ovary tends to be enlarged to 1.5-3 times the size of a normal ovary and often has an increase in the stromal tissue in the center of the ovary and around the follicles. Both the cysts and the stroma produce hormones, so the more cysts and the more stroma, the more likely one is to have other signs and symptoms of PCOS.
An ultrasound of the ovaries is usually done transvaginally — where a probe is placed into the vagina to gain view of the ovaries. In some cases, an abdominal ultrasound may be needed as well, but this tends not to give as clear a view. A classic PCOS ovary is enlarged and has a “string of pearls” appearance, where the pearls are the cysts. Usually ultrasound diagnosis of polycystic ovaries is made if there are at least 8-10 cysts that are less than 10mm in size on each ovary. It is not known how long each individual cyst will last, or what caused the arrested development of the follicle leading to the formation of the cyst in the first place. The polycystic ovary tends to be enlarged to 1.5-3 times the size of a normal ovary and often has an increase in the stromal tissue in the center of the ovary and around the follicles. Both the cysts and the stroma produce hormones, so the more cysts and the more stroma, the more likely one is to have other signs and symptoms of PCOS.
An ultrasound of the ovaries is usually done transvaginally — where a probe is placed into the vagina to gain view of the ovaries. In some cases, an abdominal ultrasound may be needed as well, but this tends not to give as clear a view. A classic PCOS ovary is enlarged and has a “string of pearls” appearance, where the pearls are the cysts. Usually ultrasound diagnosis of polycystic ovaries is made if there are at least 8-10 cysts that are less than 10mm in size on each ovary. It is not known how long each individual cyst will last, or what caused the arrested development of the follicle leading to the formation of the cyst in the first place. The polycystic ovary tends to be enlarged to 1.5-3 times the size of a normal ovary and often has an increase in the stromal tissue in the center of the ovary and around the follicles. Both the cysts and the stroma produce hormones, so the more cysts and the more stroma, the more likely one is to have other signs and symptoms of PCOS. 2.7 Is it p
