Illustration credit to Natalia Kotowicz

Following decades of criticism that the name “polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)” was misleading, an international initiative involving clinicians and patients has recommended that the condition be renamed “polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS)”. Now officially implemented, the name change reflects growing recognition that the disorder, affecting an estimated 170 million people worldwide, extends far beyond the ovaries, with long-term multisystem health consequences. 

Why the old name no longer fits

For many patients the name “polycystic ovary syndrome” has been a source of confusion since diagnosis, as the condition is neither defined by cysts, nor is it confined to the ovaries. Instead, advances in research have shown it to be a complex endocrine and metabolic disorder.

Unlike true ovarian cysts, which can grow to several centimetres and cause complications like rupture or ovarian torsion, the “cysts” seen in PMOS are simply immature follicles that have accumulated due to disrupted ovulation. By implying the presence of pathological ovarian cysts, the previous name caused understandable confusion and anxiety for newly diagnosed patients. Furthermore, not all women with PMOS show polycystic ovarian morphology, and it is not a required criterion for diagnosis. Despite this, patients without this morphology may be more likely to have their diagnosis missed or delayed, particularly if their other symptoms are less severe. 

The name PCOS placed heavy emphasis on the ovary, which centred the reproductive challenges of the condition and overshadowed the multisystem nature of the disease. While fertility concerns are an important consequence, most patients with PMOS are able to conceive either naturally or with medical intervention, and spend far more of their lives managing other aspects of the syndrome. Patients with PMOS experience metabolic, endocrine, psychological, and dermatological challenges that the previous name failed to acknowledge. Supporters of the name change argue that the reproductive emphasis may have contributed to the other aspects of the condition receiving less attention in clinical practice. As a result, long-term health complications such as insulin resistance may have been overlooked. The reproductive focus may also disadvantage patients with a so-called “lean” phenotype, meaning they have a healthy or low BMI. Making up approximately 20-30% of PMOS patients, they remain at higher risk of insulin resistance and other metabolic complications. However, since they often present with less severe symptoms, and do not fit the stereotypical picture of PCOS, they may experience delayed diagnosis despite meeting formal diagnostic criteria. 

An International Consensus

Although the name PCOS had been criticised for decades, increasing evidence surrounding the lifelong and multisystem impacts of the condition, combined with growing patient advocacy, finally mounted enough momentum to launch a coordinated international consensus. Led by Professor Helena Teede from Monash University, the initiative brought together 56 professional and patient organisations. Over 14,000 survey responses from clinicians and patients were obtained, and nominal group workshops were coordinated to help minimise stigma around the name. Participants agreed that the new name should reflect the metabolic, endocrine, and reproductive aspects of the condition while remaining acceptable across cultures. The name “polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS)” was the most popular choice. The paper outlining the renaming, published in The Lancet in June 2026, also provides an implementation strategy with a transition period of 3 years, from the dissemination of the name in academic and policy literature, to incorporation into the WHO International Classification of Diseases and international guidelines. This strategy aims for structured global adoption of the new name in policy, research and practice.

What the change means for patients

The new name is intended to better represent the lived experience of patients, with the greater emphasis on wider aspects of the condition aiming to improve clinicians’ awareness of broader treatment needs, beyond those relating to fertility. This includes better recognition and management of insulin resistance and long-term metabolic complications. It also encourages the role of a multidisciplinary team in the treatment of these patients, for example involving endocrinologists, psychiatrists, and dermatologists, which could help patients feel less isolated by their symptoms and promote more specific management of them. Shifting the focus of the name away from the reproductive symptoms also hopes to increase funding sources through the involvement of a wider range of research areas, as PMOS research is currently primarily funded by reproductive organisations. This could help to improve both the understanding and treatment of PMOS.

The publicity surrounding the renaming may itself contribute to improvements in how the condition is diagnosed and treated. Knowledge of the condition and its symptoms might encourage more people to seek diagnosis, and make patients more aware of their increased risks for long-term health complications, such as metabolic conditions or certain endometrial cancers.  

What the change doesn’t solve

Despite widespread support for the new terminology, changing a name alone cannot solve every challenge that patients with PMOS face. The transition is likely to cause temporary confusion as clinicians, researchers, and healthcare systems adopt the new terminology, and patients may find themselves explaining the change to family, friends, or even healthcare professionals. Some have questioned whether retaining the word “ovarian” may still place disproportionate emphasis on reproductive health, despite the intention to highlight the metabolic and endocrine aspects. More fundamentally, the name change does not directly alter how PMOS is currently diagnosed or managed.  

Whether the renaming ultimately improves patient care will depend on how successfully it is adopted into clinical practice. Some clinicians argue that the new name does not go far enough to represent the full spectrum of the condition and how it is conceptualised, suggesting that the debate over naming may not yet be settled. However, the name change is about more than terminology—it reflects a shift in how one of the most common disorders affecting people with ovaries is understood, researched, and managed. 

Bibliography

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