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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd
DOI: 10.1055/a-2622-6321
GebFra Science
Review

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome – Support and Prevention in Adolescence

Article in several languages: English | deutsch
1   SPZ Interdisziplinär, Pädiatrische Endokrinologie und Diabetologie, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany (Ringgold ID: RIN14903)
,
Uta Neumann
2   Klinik für pädiatrische Endokrinologie und Diabetologie, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany (Ringgold ID: RIN14903)
,
Nicole Balint
3   Klinik für Gynäkologie mit Zentrum für onkologische Chirurgie, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany (Ringgold ID: RIN14903)
,
Susanna Wiegand
1   SPZ Interdisziplinär, Pädiatrische Endokrinologie und Diabetologie, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany (Ringgold ID: RIN14903)
› Author Affiliations
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Abstract

For up to eight years after menarche, adolescents are in a developmental stage where PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) symptoms are physiological. The diagnostic criteria for PCOS in adult women therefore only partially apply. A new German S2k guideline and the international PCOS guideline of 2023 provide standardized diagnostic criteria for hyperandrogenemia and menstrual disorders in adolescence. The provisional diagnosis of PCOS at risk has been introduced for adolescents who only partially meet the criteria and this diagnosis must be revisited three and eight years after menarche. Recommendations for therapy focus on providing information and lifestyle advice to adolescents and on the prevention and treatment of possible comorbidities such as obesity, insulin resistance and hypertension. This paper presents an overview of a structured diagnostic workup and therapeutic approaches to support adolescents with PCOS.



Publication History

Received: 12 March 2025

Accepted after revision: 26 May 2025

Article published online:
01 August 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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