Neuroendocrine aspects of polycystic ovary syndrome

This article reviews neuroendocrine aspects of PCOS and compares those aspects to regulation of gonadotropin secretion during normal ovulatory cycles. Reviewed and described are the abnormal patterns of LH secretion in adults and adolescents and mechanisms underlying the persistent rapid frequency of: GnRH secretion. Recent data are presented on the relative insensitivity of the hypothalmic pulse generator to suppression by ovarian steroids. A hypothesis is formulated to explain the evolution of abnormal GnRH secretion during pubertal maturation to the persistent hypersecretion of GnRH and LH in hyperandrogenemic anovulatory adults with PCOS.