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Chapter 6 - The Relevance of the Anti-Müllerian Hormone in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Diagnosis and Management

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 May 2022

By
Martina Capuzzo  and
Antonio La Marca
Edited by
Gabor T. Kovacs ,
Bart Fauser  and
Richard S. Legro
Gabor T. Kovacs
Affiliation:
Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Bart Fauser
Affiliation:
University Medical Center, Utrecht, Netherlands
Richard S. Legro
Affiliation:
Penn State Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA
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Summary

Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) has recently been proposed as a diagnostic marker for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) instead of polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM) seen on ultrasound. As serum AMH level reflects excess small follicles not visible on ultrasonography, AMH level would theoretically be more accurate than PCOM as a diagnostic marker. Its value is significantly higher in PCOS patients than in normal women; its high levels are also considered to play an important role in the pathogenesis of the disorder, accounting for anovulation in PCOS patients. Nevertheless, its use is still not recommended by the international guidelines as an alternative for detecting PCOM or as a single test result for the diagnosis of PCOS. Its potential clinical applications in PCOS patients are currently the characterization of the severity of the syndrome and in deciding hormone doses for ovarian stimulation treatments. An international standard is needed to standardize the existing assays for AMH calibration before diagnostic cutoffs can be determined and before AMH use as a diagnostic marker can be considered meaningful.

Keywords

polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH)ovarian reservediagnostic markeranovulation
Type
Chapter
Information
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome , pp. 52 - 57
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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References

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