Polycystic ovarian syndrome is said to be heterogeneous; that is, patients may experience a wide variety of different symptoms to a greater or lesser degree, and vary over time. Also, a uniform and precise definition of the syndrome is lacking. Women often go to their doctor because they are having menstrual irregularities, experiencing infertility, and/or are having symptoms associated with androgen excess. They may experience:

• Abnormal uterine bleeding
• Acanthosis nigricans
• Acne
• Amenorrhoea
• Decreased breast size
• Deeper voice (rare)
• Enlarged ovaries
• Hirsutism involving male hair growth patterns such as hair on the face, sideburn area, chin, upper lip, lower abdominal midline, chest, areola, lower back, buttock, and inner thigh
• Weight gain/obesity, with fat distribution around the centre of the body
• Skin tags in the armpits or neck
• Thinning hair, with male pattern baldness