Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and alteration of vocal function: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder among young women, correlated with hyperandrogenism. Among the symptoms of PCOS, vocal alterations are quite unknown. Dysphonia may be related to hyperandrogenism, and there is no consensus about its prevalence and the severity of vocal disorders, which can cause noticeable discomfort. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted. Four studies on PCOS that evaluated the phonatory system were included, for a total of 174 patients (96 PCOS, 78 controls) and a meta-analysis on comparable data was performed. Results: Four studies evaluated parameters related to vocal symptomatology, altered audiometric examination, and findings at the laryngoscopy in patients affected by PCOS versus controls. Although the individual studies showed increased incidence of alterations and a tendency to speech fatigue in women with PCOS, when the results of studies were pulled in metanalysis the overall difference was not statistically significant. The studies themselves were very different from each other, thereby it is hard to draw any firm conclusions. Discussion/Conclusions: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of vocal alterations, the correlation with hyperandrogenism, the quality of life, and the voice changes after starting a therapy for PCOS. The present meta-analysis failed to find any difference in terms of PCOS and control cohort. However, the lack of high-quality studies makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions. New and larger studies or big population program data are therefore warranted.