Aim: To evaluate the variation in tissue stiffness caused by the changes in ovarian volume and stroma in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) using a novel method of ultrasonography, that is shear wave elastography (SWE). The current study also aimed to evaluate the potential applications of this method in predicting the metabolic and androgenic alterations in patients with PCOS.
Methods: The present study included 33 patients with PCOS. The blood samples for the metabolic and androgenic parameters and SWE values pertaining to the patients were obtained on the same day during the early follicular phase. The predictive ability of SWE to reflect the metabolic and androgenic abnormalities was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis.
Results: The mean SWE value pertaining to the group with higher total testosterone levels was significantly lower, compared to the group with normal testosterone levels (p = 0.041). The ROC analysis revealed that the predictive potential of SWE was statistically significant in regard to the serum testosterone levels alone (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.755, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.573-0.938, p = 0.041). There was no significant relationship between the SWE values and metabolic parameters.
Conclusions: Based on the results of the present study, decreased SWE values appear to be associated with increased serum testosterone levels. However, the present study did not observe any significant relationship between the SWE values and metabolic parameters. SWE can be used as a practical and non-invasive method to predict the serum testosterone levels during the follow-up evaluations of the patients with PCOS.
Keywords: hyperandrogenism; metabolic disorders; polycystic ovary syndrome; shear wave elastography; ultrasonography.
© 2021 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.