Global Consensus Renames PCOS to PMOS, Aiming for Better Diagnosis

After more than a decade of international consultation involving 56 academic, clinical and patient organisations, the condition formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has been renamed polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). The change was published in The Lancet and announced at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Prague on 12 May 2026.

The renaming was led by Professor Helena Teede of Monash University in Australia, who said the old name “misleads by focusing on ovarian cysts and obscures the disorder’s endocrine and metabolic features”. Researchers and patient advocates argue that the new name more accurately reflects the syndrome’s multisystem nature – endocrine, metabolic, reproductive and mental‑health aspects – and should reduce stigma, improve diagnosis and guide broader treatment strategies.

PCOS/PMOS affects about one in eight women of reproductive age, roughly 170 million people worldwide, and is linked to irregular periods, infertility, insulin resistance, type‑2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, acne, excess hair growth and mood disorders. By removing the reference to “cysts”, the new terminology seeks to ensure clinicians consider the full spectrum of symptoms, even when ovarian ultrasound does not show cystic ovaries. Experts such as Dr Melanie Cree (University of Colorado) and Dr Sarah Hutto (University of Minnesota) expect the change to facilitate better research funding, policy framing and patient care globally.