TAMPA, Fla. (NewsNation) — A groundbreaking change has been announced in the medical community: polycystic ovary syndrome will now be referred to as polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome.
This shift, from PCOS to PMOS, is a subtle yet significant one-letter modification that marks the culmination of over a decade of dedicated efforts by advocates and experts alike. The hope is that this new terminology will lead to swifter diagnoses and improved treatment for those affected.
The official unveiling of the name change was featured in The Lancet on Tuesday, following 14 years of collaboration between various medical and patient advocacy groups.
Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome impacts approximately 1 in 8 women globally, translating to an estimated 170 million women affected worldwide.
Critics of the old PCOS designation argued that it failed to encompass the full scope of the syndrome’s effects, which extend beyond a single organ. The updated PMOS name aims to more accurately describe the condition’s multifaceted nature, which includes metabolic disturbances, increased risks of diabetes and cardiovascular issues, alongside reproductive challenges.
People with PMOS can have an excess of androgens, or male sex hormones. All women have those hormones in small amounts, but an increased amount can lead to symptoms of the condition.
It can also lead to “polycystic ovaries,” hence the old name. But that term isn’t accurate, as what appear on ultrasound to be cysts are eggs in arrested development.
That name risks confusion with true ovarian cysts, which can become enlarged, bleed, and require surgery to remove them.
Patients advocated for a name change to better reflect the wider impact of the condition and because of the stigma against reproductive conditions in certain cultures, where a woman’s reproductive ability determines her value.
What are the symptoms?
Many patients struggle to get diagnosed with PMOS and report having their symptoms brushed off by doctors who focus narrowly on the reproductive impacts.
Infertility is one possible symptom, but there are others that may go undetected for years or a lifetime. The symptoms, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, include:
- Missed periods, irregular periods or light periods
- Enlarged ovaries
- Extra body hair
- Weight gain
- Acne
- Thinning hair
- Skin tags on the neck or armpits
- Dark skin on the back of the neck, armpits and under the breasts
Health care providers may diagnose the syndrome with a combination of ultrasounds, blood tests and evaluating a patient’s health history.
Causes and treatments for PMOS
PMOS was first described in 1935, when it was thought to be a disease of the ovaries. But over the decades, researchers have found an imbalance of hormones causes it. The main hormones affected are insulin and androgens.
Those imbalances affect multiple systems in the body, not just the reproductive organs. Metabolic function, mental health and skin are also affected.
The new name won’t change treatments for the condition, which is typically managed with a combination of medication and lifestyle changes, but may help women access that treatment more quickly through earlier diagnosis.
There will be a transitional period, with the new name fully implemented in the next update to international guidelines for managing the disease, which will be published in 2028.