Objective: To confirm whether patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have a reduction in uterine perfusion and to verify whether chronic administration of cabergoline can decrease this high vascular resistance.
Design: Prospective randomized trial.
Setting: Endocrinological Centre of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
Patient(s): Thirty patients were enrolled in the study: 20 affected by PCOS and 10 healthy controls. Patients with PCOS were randomly assigned to one of two treatments for 3 months: oral administration of cabergoline (0.5 mg) every week or oral administration of placebo every week.
Intervention(s): All patients underwent transvaginal ultrasonography associated with Doppler flow measurement of the uterine artery, and serum hormone concentrations were determined during the early follicular phase. In women with PCOS, Doppler flow measurement and hormonal assessment were repeated in the early follicular phase of the third month of treatment.
Main outcome measure(s): Pulsatility index of the uterine artery before and during treatment.
Result(s): The mean pulsatility index of the uterine artery in patients with PCOS was significantly higher than that of the control group (3.29+/-0.5 and 2.01+/-0.2, respectively). Patients with PCOS treated with cabergoline showed a significant increase in uterine perfusion, with a pulsatility index of 3.14+/-0.6 before and 2.39+/-0.5 during the treatment. No difference was found in patients with PCOS treated with placebo.
Conclusion(s): Patients with PCOS have high resistance in the uterine arteries, but chronic administration of cabergoline can increase uterine perfusion.