PCOS and Infertility: A rising concern if not diagnosed accurately in the UAE

Medeor 24x7 International hospital, Al Ain takes a look at why do some doctors tell their patients they have polycystic ovarian syndrome, but others don’t?

Dubai, UAE: 14th January, 2018:  There are certain guidelines on the features that should be present in order for someone to be diagnosed with PCOS “Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome”. An ovary that has more than 10 follicles is considered to be a “polycystic ovary.” Approximately 25 to 30% of all women will have ovaries that meet this definition. But 25 to 30% of all women DO NOT have PCOS “Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome”.

Dr. Zahida Jabeen Chaudary, Specialization; Consultant Obstetrics and Gynecology at Medeor 24x7 International Hospital, Al Ain said, “In order to have PCOS, a woman needs to have other findings such as irregular periods, weight gaining or excess hair growth with abnormal hormonal levels.  So, some women will have a diagnosis of polycystic ovaries, without having Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. This can be confusing and I see a lot of patients who are unsure of their diagnosis because they were told that their ovaries were polycystic”.

While PCOS is globally prevalent, affecting 5-15% of the female population in the world, the rapid incidence of PCOS and Infertility if not diagnosed accurately is a rising concern in the UAE. Dr. Zahida finds in her practice that 1 out of 4 patients is a PCOS sufferer and puts them on the right treatment regarding their nutritional advice, balancing hormones and best management approaches.

Alternatively, she investigates that an increasing number of patients who consult her for Infertility treatment are not always present with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. “At our practice, we find patients who claim to be diagnosed with PCOS actually don’t have it and require alternative treatments for Infertility.” says Dr. Zahida. Proper laboratory, hormonal profile assessment along with symptomatic analysis and ultrasound findings are the main diagnostic tools for diagnosing PCOS

Dr. Zahida, who was greatly concerned by the rising number of wrongly diagnosed PCOS cases in her daily practice, stepped forward to evaluate the number of female patients of different ethnic backgrounds visiting the hospital in Al Ain.  In a study conducted by her, an increasing trend of patients who were sampled indicated a prevalence of “Polycystic Ovary” and not “PCOS” as per their earlier diagnosis. 

Apart from PCOS and its association to infertility, the most common causes of female infertility include problems with ovulation, damage to fallopian tubes or uterus, or problems with the cervix. Age can contribute to infertility because as a woman ages, her fertility naturally tends to decrease. Female infertility is most often treated by taking hormones to address a hormone imbalance, endometriosis, or a short menstrual cycle, taking medications to stimulate ovulation, using supplements to enhance fertility, taking antibiotics to remove an infection, having minor surgery to remove blockage or scar tissues from the fallopian tubes, uterus, or pelvic area.

Dr. Arun Menon, Director of Operations, Medeor 24x7 International Hospital, Al Ain said “Our expert team of gynecologists at Medeor 24x7 International hospital, Al Ain are able to identify accurate diagnosis, and we are committed to providing the best medical treatments for PCOS and Infertility in the UAE.”