A scan alone is not a PCOS diagnosis
Two of three criteria, with other causes ruled out. The scan is one of the three.
If a scan report says polycystic ovaries, that is one of three things that go into a PCOS diagnosis, and on its own it is not enough. The other two are ovulation that is irregular or absent, and signs that androgens are raised — either visible on examination or measured in blood. Two of three, with other causes excluded. The exclusions matter as much as the criteria. Thyroid disease, raised prolactin and some adrenal conditions can look similar and are treated completely differently, which is why blood tests come before the diagnosis rather than after it. Two things worth knowing. The follicles on the scan are not cysts that need removing, and a normal testosterone result does not rule PCOS out. If you have been given the diagnosis, the questions to take back are: which criteria did you use, what else did you rule out, and was my thyroid checked. This is a written short explanation from AskHer's editorial team, not a recording — there is no video of it yet. It was written from the full explanation linked on this page and the sources listed there, and it has not been signed off by a clinician registered in India. It is general education, not advice about your own situation.
By AskHer Editorial, AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician
Reviewed by the editorial desk on 3 September 2026. No clinician has signed it off yet.