PCOS OR PCOD: ARE THEY REALLY THE SAME?

Abstract

Few medical acronyms generate as much public confusion as PCOS and  PCOD. Women searching for information about irregular periods, weight gain, acne,  or difficulty conceiving routinely encounter both terms — sometimes in the same  article, sometimes used interchangeably, and sometimes presented as two distinct  diseases. This review article untangles the terminology. Drawing on international  diagnostic guidelines and the clinical literature, it argues that PCOS (polycystic  ovary syndrome) and PCOD (polycystic ovary disease or polycystic ovarian disease)  refer to the same underlying condition, with the difference lying in convention and  geography rather than biology.