I just got a copy of my records from my RE since I am moving. Reading through then, he notes that my ultrasound was suggestive of hyperthecosis. Does anyone know what this is? Best I can tell it is a rarer form of PCOS but I could be totally off base. TIA
__________________ Heather Me(29) DH(30) Married 6/1/2002
Ryan Matthew July 26, 2007
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Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Ovarian Hyperthecosis
These conditions represent a morphologic spectrum of the same process. In 1935, Stein and Leventhal described a syndrome consisting of bilaterally enlarged sclerocystic and polyfollicular ovaries, menstrual dysfunction, and hirsutism (Stein and Leventhal, 1935). Geist and Gaines (1942) noted the association of clinical virilization with islands of luteinized theca cells in the ovarian stroma; this finding subsequently became known as ovarian stromal hyperthecosis.
There is general agreement in the literature that the diagnosis of PCOS requires the presence of hyperandrogenism (elevated serum androgen levels or definitive clinical evidence of excess androgen effect) and chronic anovulation (fewer than six to nine menses per year) (Zawadski and Dunaif, 1992). It is now recognized that PCOS represents the most common cause of masculinization in women with a prevalence of approximately 5% of premenopausal women (Knochenhauer et al, 1998).
Women with PCOS are chronically anovulatory, but spontaneous ovulation and conception may occasionally occur. Usually, menstrual irregularities persist from the time of menarche so that a regular pattern of menses is never established. Less often, girls can have primary amenorrhea. Hyperandrogenism may be subtle, and cystic acne may be the only sign. Hyperandrogenism may take several years to produce hirsutism in PCOS or hirtutism may be absent, depending on the 5alpha-reductase activity in the skin (McKenna et al, 1983). Acanthosis nigricans is evident on clinical examination of the skin in approximately 50% of obese women with PCOS (Dunaif et al, 1987; Stuart et al, 1986; Dunaif et al, 1991) (Fig. 15-4) . Acromegaloid features, such as acral hypertrophy, are found occasionally in women with PCOS. True virilization is uncommon in PCOS and suggests the presence of an adrenal or ovarian tumor.
Hyperthecosis 
