The prevalence of uterine septum in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a series of 49 cases

Abstract

Objective To estimate the prevalence of uterine septum in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome(PCOS) that were investigated for infertility after failure to achieve pregnancy with ovulation induction in a highincidence area, such as Middle East. Design A prospective observational study Methods A 49 patients from a total of 172 patients seeking fertility advice at a specialised fertility clinic in Amman, Jordan, during the period of September 2017 to July 2018 with confirmed polycystic ovarian syndrome were screened for the presence of congenital uterine anomalies by a hysterosalpingogram(HSG). The anomalies were classified according to the American Fertility Society classification. If an anomaly was suspected a diagnostic laparoscopy and hysteroscopy were performed to confirm the diagnosis. Results 15 patients (31%) of the 49 patients with confirmed diagnosis of polycystic ovarian syndrome were confirmed to have uterine anomalies; 11 patients had a uterine septum, three patients had an arcuate uterus and one patient had a bicornuate uterus. Conclusion There is association between PCOS and uterine septum. This study hopes to enlighten infertility clinicians about the presence of uterine factor in PCOS patients (31%) and the need to screen for this congenital anomaly at their first consultation before embarking on the time-consuming and costly process of ovulation induction.