Fig. 2.

Pathophysiology of polycystic ovary syndrome. The interaction between a genetic predisposition and some prenatal and postnatal environmental factors seems to be responsible for the development of the syndrome. Oxidative stress, low-grade chronic inflammation, and insulin and lipid metabolism alterations are present in the background of the main clinical manifestations of the syndrome which constitute their diagnostic criteria during women’s reproductive age: hyperandrogenism, anovulation and polycystic ovary morphology. IUGR: intrauterine growth retardation; PCOS: polycystic ovary syndrome; SGA: small for gestational age