After more than a decade of global consultation, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has been renamed polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). The change was published in the Lancet and announced at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Prague on Tuesday, following 14 years of collaboration between international societies and patient groups across six continents.
The renaming was spearheaded by endocrinologist Professor Helena Teede, director of Melbourne's Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation. She said the term PCOS did not capture the 'multi-system burden' of the condition and 'directs attention to only one organ'. The new name is hoped to better reflect the condition's complex nature, affecting not only the reproductive system but also metabolism and the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Professor Teede explained that the word 'polycystic' risked confusion with true ovarian cysts, which can enlarge, bleed and require surgery. 'There are no abnormal cysts in PCOS,' she said. The new name 'moves away from the incorrect focus on cysts … to recognising this is a much broader condition'. The effects of PMOS on the body 'are virtually all endocrine – hormonal'.
The condition, which affects one in eight women worldwide, was initially thought of as a disease of the ovaries when named in 1935. Research since has found it is caused by an imbalance of hormones, primarily insulin and androgens. This imbalance affects multiple systems, including metabolic, mental, skin and reproductive health, as well as the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Patient Maddy Mavrikis, diagnosed at 15, said she never had cysts on her ovaries and found the old name confusing. Her mother, a pathology worker, questioned the name at diagnosis, noting the condition was more hormonal. Professor Teede said patients were passionate about the change: 'They wanted it fixed. They know how much they have suffered because of the name.'
