Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - History

History

The condition was first described in 1935 by American gynecologists Irving F. Stein, Sr. and Michael L. Leventhal, from whom its original name of Stein-Leventhal syndrome is taken. Although Stein and Leventhal were the first in modern medicine to describe the condition, earlier references include the description by Vallisneri in 1721 of larger than normal ovaries and the description by Chereau in 1844 of sclerocystic changes in the ovaries. Chereau's report was followed by observations of other European gynecologists in the second half of the nineteenth century. Stein and Leventhal's article identified the symptoms associated with the ovarian changes and reported wedging procedure as a highly successful remedial procedure. However, the simple symptoms for PCOS described by Stein and Leventhal could not last long, as the same symptoms were also found in patients diagnosed with other ovarian conditions like hyperthecosis and hilus cell tumors as well as in patients diagnosed with nonovarian hyperandrogenism of various types, such as adrenal hyperplasia and Cushing's syndrome. Polycystic ovaries were later found to exist in some women with subtle endocrine disorders. The wide range and frequency of symptoms made it difficult to establish a consistent clinical picture.