The renaming of polycystic ovary syndrome to "Polyendocrine and Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome" (PMOS) was officially announced on May 12, 2026 at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Prague and published in The Lancet. This change addresses two major problems with the former name that nonetheless affects over 170 million women worldwide, or one in eight women.
First, the term was anatomically inaccurate: what were called cysts are actually immature follicles and not pathological cysts.
Second, this designation focused attention solely on the ovary, relegating the endocrine, metabolic, dermatological, cardiovascular and psychological dimensions of this pathology to the background.
Let's remember, this condition affects 10 to 13% of women of reproductive age, with up to 70% remaining undiagnosed.
This poor terminology had concrete consequences for patients. By changing the name, we change how we view the disease.
This historic change is the fruit of fourteen years of collaboration among more than fifty international societies and patient groups from around the world, led notably by Professor Helena Teede, an endocrinologist at the Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation in Melbourne. It's based on a vast international consultation involving over 7,700 participants across six continents, which showed that 85.6% of patients and 76.1% of healthcare professionals wanted a change so the name would better reflect the hormonal and systemic nature of the syndrome.
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For medical practice, PMOS thus becomes a more effective consultation tool, allowing physicians to explain to a patient that she suffers from a polyendocrine and metabolic ovarian syndrome, which immediately gives her a more accurate image of the condition.
A three-year transition period is planned until 2028 to allow healthcare professionals, governments and researchers time to adapt before the complete update of international guidelines.
