What tests are used to diagnose Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)?
According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, there is no single test to diagnose PCOS. Your doctor will take a medical history, perform a physical exam—possibly including an ultrasound, check your spouse’s hormone levels, and measure glucose, or sugar levels, in the blood. If she is producing too many male hormones, the doctor will make sure it’s from PCOS.
At the physical exam the doctor will want to evaluate the areas of increased hair growth, so your partner should try to allow natural hair growth for a few days before the visit. During a pelvic exam, the ovaries may be enlarged or swollen by the increased number of small cysts. This can be seen more easily by vaginal ultrasound, or screening, to examine the ovaries for cysts and the endometrium.
The endometrium is the lining of the uterus. The uterine lining may become thicker if there has not been a regular period.
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