eMedicine Specialties > Pediatrics: General Medicine > Endocrinology
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: Follow-up
Updated: Oct 21, 2009
Follow-up
Further Inpatient Care
- The only indication for inpatient care in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is menorrhagia with severe anemia.
Further Outpatient Care
- Monitor oral contraceptive pill (OCP) use.
- Monitor for adverse effects of medications.
- Monitor for insulin resistance and development of diabetes.
- Monitor lipid profile.
- Encourage exercise and a healthy diet.
Complications
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
- Cardiovascular disease
- Endometrial carcinoma
- Infertility
Prognosis
- Prognosis is good.
Patient Education
- Encourage a sensible exercise program, a healthy diet, and maintenance of ideal body weight.
- Discourage cigarette smoking.
- When prescribing OCPs for sexually active women, stress condom use for protection against sexually transmitted diseases.
- Make patients aware of the possible long-term complications of polycystic ovarian syndrome and encourage the necessity of medical follow-up care.
- Internet sites for patients include the following:
- For excellent patient education resources, visit eMedicine's Women's Health Center. Also, see eMedicine's patient education articles Ovarian Cysts, Amenorrhea, and Female Sexual Problems.
- Also, see patient education articles and find a local endocrinologist via The Hormone Foundation.
The authors and editors of eMedicine gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous authors Kathy Silverman and Elizabeth Alderman to the original writing of this article.
More on Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome |
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| Multimedia: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome |
| References |
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Further Reading
Keywords
polycystic ovarian syndrome, PCOS, Stein-Leventhal syndrome, hyperandrogenism, functional ovarian hyperandrogenism, sclerocystic disease of the ovary, insulin resistance, perimenarchal onset, amenorrhea, obesity, menstrual dysfunction, HAIR-AN syndrome, treatment, diagnosis
Follow-up: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome