The role of color doppler imaging in the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to evaluate whether intraovarian and uterine blood flow variations are associated with clinical, ultrasonographic, and endocrine polycystic ovary syndrome findings. Study DESIGN: Thirty-two hirsute, oligomenorrheic patients and 18 volunteer women underwent in the early follicular phase ultrasonographic evaluation of ovarian volume, echodensity, and follicle number; transvaginal color Doppler measurement of the uterine and intraovarian vessel variations; and radioimmunologic dosage of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, androstenedione, and other hormonel compartments. RESULTS: In the patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (increased luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio, elevated androstenodione levels, high number of subcapsular follicles by ultrasonography-augmented ovarian volume and echodensity) (n = 22) we observed, at Doppler analysis, significantly elevated uterine artery pulsatility index values associated with a typical low resistance index of stromal ovary vascularization. The pulsatility index was positively correlated with the luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio, and the resistance index was negatively correlated. The elevated uterine artery resistance was correlated with androstenedione levels. CONCLUSION: Doppler analysis can be a valuable additional tool for the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome.