PCOS to be called PMOS as experts say old name caused confusion, delayed care

A medical condition affecting nearly 170 million women globally and widely recognised as one of the leading causes of infertility is set to undergo a major identity change.

Polycystic ovary syndrome, commonly known as PCOS, will now be called polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, or PMOS, according to researchers and global medical organisations involved in the initiative. The announcement was made on Tuesday during the European Congress of Endocrinology held in Prague.

The move is aimed at improving awareness, diagnosis and treatment of the condition, which experts say has long been misunderstood because of its name, Reuters reported.

The findings and details of the renaming initiative were published in The Lancet and presented alongside discussions at the international medical conference.

According to the researchers, the term “polycystic ovary syndrome” frequently led patients and healthcare providers to associate the disorder primarily with ovarian cysts, even though many women diagnosed with the condition do not actually develop cysts.

“The name polycystic ovary syndrome often lead women and their clinicians to mistakenly associate it with ovarian cysts, which are not necessarily present in every patient,” Piltonen wrote.

Researchers said the heavy focus on ovarian cysts resulted in delayed diagnoses and fragmented treatment approaches. Many patients reportedly struggled to receive comprehensive care because the broader hormonal and metabolic nature of the condition was not fully recognised.

The newly adopted name — polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome — is intended to better capture the disorder’s complex impact on the body, including hormonal imbalances, metabolic dysfunction and reproductive health complications.

According to researchers, the consensus was reached through collaboration between several research groups and the Androgen Excess and PCOS Society.

More than 14,000 survey responses from patients and health professionals worldwide were analysed as part of the process. Researchers also conducted two international workshops and consulted 56 academic, clinical and patient advocacy organisations before finalising the new terminology.

The researchers said the extensive consultation reflected growing recognition that the condition affects far more than reproductive health alone.

Researchers said women with the condition may experience irregular or absent menstrual cycles, infertility, pregnancy-related complications, excess facial or body hair growth, acne, anxiety, depression, weight gain and obesity.

The condition is also linked to diabetes, insulin-related disorders and cardiovascular disease.

Experts noted that, instead of ovarian cysts, many women with the disorder actually develop excess antral follicles — small fluid-filled sacs containing immature eggs inside the ovaries.

Although there is currently no cure for the condition, symptoms can often be managed through medication, lifestyle changes, improved diet and regular exercise, according to the Endocrine Society.

The changes are expected to be gradually incorporated into health systems, clinical guidelines, professional medical training and disease classification systems globally.

Experts involved in the initiative said they hope the new terminology will improve understanding of the disorder and help women receive earlier diagnosis and more coordinated treatment.

The announcement comes amid increasing global attention on women’s health conditions that have historically been underdiagnosed or misunderstood.