PCOS Is Officially Renamed, After Decades of Misinformation

A global science consortium has officially renamed polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), correcting a name that has been misleading for over a century. The decision was announced this week at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Prague, following 14 years of collaboration among healthcare experts, patients, and advocates led by Verity (a UK-based charity), Monash University in Australia, and the Androgen Excess and PCOS Society. The team argued that the term PCOS inaccurately focused only on the ovaries, ignoring the disorder’s broader systemic effects. PMOS affects roughly 170 million people worldwide, with up to 70% of cases going undiagnosed due to misinformation. The condition is linked to irregular menstrual periods, excess hair growth, acne, infertility, and long-term metabolic, psychological, and dermatological complications that persist beyond reproductive years. The new name removes the misleading reference to 'cysts,' which originated in 1935 when surgeons Irving Stein and Michael Leventhal observed enlarged ovaries with cyst-like structures in infertile patients. Their findings led to the term 'Stein-Leventhal syndrome,' later broadened to PCOS, but the name never reflected the disorder’s full scope. The consortium emphasized that PMOS is not solely a reproductive disorder, as it begins in the brain for some patients and involves hormonal imbalances affecting multiple organs. For decades, patients like Lorna Berry, who contributed to the initiative, faced barriers to diagnosis and treatment due to the outdated terminology. The change aims to improve awareness, accuracy, and outcomes for those living with the condition. Both PCOS and PMOS will remain interchangeable for the next three years during the transition.