Journal of Mental Deficiency Research, 1989, 33, 335-338 CASE REPORT Polycystic ovary disease, manic-depressive illness and mental retardation M. GHAZIUDDIN Department of Mental Handicap, University Hospital, Nottingham, England ABSTRACT. Presence of polycystic ovary disease is described in a mentally retarded woman who later developed features of manic-depressive illness. The possibility that the three conditions might interrelate pathophysiologically is discussed. INTRODUCTION Polycystic ovary disease (POD) occurs in about 3 5% of the normal female population, and commonly presents with menstrual irregularity, obesity, hirsuitism and acne. Typical laboratory findings include increased androgen production rates, elevated levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and relatively lower levels of follicle- stimulating hormone (FSH). The ovaries may show multiple follicular cysts. The exact aetiology is not known although psychological factors have been implicated. By means of a health questionnaire study, Orenstein et al. (1986) suggested an association between POD and Briquet's syndrome, and found that patients with POD report significantly more psychological and physical complaints than normal controls. Petho et al. (1982) described a family in which paranoid schizophrenia was diagnosed in both parents and their three daughters. All the daughters suffered from POD. They hypothesized that the association of paranoid schizophrenia and POD was probably the result of a combination of genetic and endocrine abnormalities. The following case study describes the occurrence of manic-depressive illness in a mentally retarded woman suffering from POD. As far as the author is aware, no case reports exist in the psychiatric literature describing the association of manic-depressive illness and POD in the mentally handicapped population; CASE REPORT JL is a 34-year-old severely mentally handicapped woman who lives in a house with five other mentally handicapped people. She is able to walk without support and can feed herself. Although her speech is minimal, she can express herself satisfactorily. She attends an adult training centre 4 days a week and occasionally visits her elderly parents. Correspondence: Dr M. Ghaziuddin, Clinical Fellow in Child Psychiatry, University of Michigan Hospitals, CAPH-Box 0706, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0706, USA 335