Clinical and endocrine profiles of 62 Malaysian women with polycystic ovary syndrome

62 cases of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO) were reviewed with regards to their clinical and endocrine features. The subgroup of patients with acanthosis nigricans (AN) was further studied in detail. The prevalence of the syndrome was significantly higher in the Indian (35.5% of cases). Obesity, AN, hirsutism, non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and raised level of serum testosterone were present in 77.1%, 74%, 79%, 21% and 48% of the cases respectively. Patients with AN was associated with higher body mass index, serum testosterone level, and prevalence of hirsutism and NIDDM than patients without AN. These observations are in keeping with the hypothesis that hyperinsulinemia may be of importance in the pathogenesis of a sub-group of PCO associated with insulin resistant states.