ABSTRACT
Polycystic ovary syndrome, also known as Stein-Leventhal syndrome, is normally diagnosed in European countries on the basis of ovarian morphology, gleaned from ultrasound examination. Workers espousing this point of view therefore regard the appearance of the polycystic ovary on ultrasound scan as central to diagnosis and classification. In contrast, in the USA greater reliance is placed on biochemical features. In endocrine terms the most widely accepted characterization is that the patient with polycystic ovary syndrome has evidence of excessive secretion of androgen from the (polycystic) ovary.
