A comprehensive clinical examination is the basis for selecting further diagnostic steps:
- General physical examination – including blood pressure, pulse, body weight, height [obesity (overweight)]; furthermore:
- Inspection (viewing): skin and mucous membranes, abdominal wall and inguinal region (groin area) [seborrhea (oily skin); objective evaluation of distribution/quantity of hair: increased hairiness of terminal hair (long hair) in women according to male distribution pattern in the following areas:
- Of the sideburns (of the jaw area near the ear), the upper lip and on the chin.
- Of the upper sternum area, around the areolas.
- Other features to note:
- Acne
- Alopecia androgenitica (androgenic baldness)]
- Inspection (viewing): skin and mucous membranes, abdominal wall and inguinal region (groin area) [seborrhea (oily skin); objective evaluation of distribution/quantity of hair: increased hairiness of terminal hair (long hair) in women according to male distribution pattern in the following areas:
- Gynecological examination
- Inspection
- Vulva (external, primary female sex organs) [in virilism/masculinization: enlargement of the clitoris].
- Vagina (vagina)
- Cervix uteri (cervix), or portio (cervix; transition from the cervix (cervix uteri) to the vagina (vagina)), if necessary, taking a Pap smear (for early detection of cervical cancer).
- Palpation (bimanual; palpation with both hands) of the internal genital organs.
- Cervix uteri (cervix).
- Uterus (uterus) [Normal: anteflexed/angled anteriorly, normal size, no tenderness].
- Adnexa (appendages of the uterus, i.e., the ovary and uterine tube). [Normal: free; the ovaries are larger than normal; the diagnosis of PCO syndrome is essentially based on sonography and laboratory diagnostics]
- Parametria (pelvic connective tissue in front of the cervix to the urinary bladder and on both sides to the lateral wall of the pelvis) [Normal: free].
- Pelvic walls [Normal: free]
- Douglas space (pocket-like bulge of the peritoneum (abdominal wall) between the rectum (rectum) at the back and the uterus (uterus) at the front) [Normal: clear].
- Inspection of the mammae (breasts), right and left; the nipple (nipple), right and left and the skin [Normal: unremarkable; possibly increased hairiness of the terminal hair (long hair) of the woman according to male distribution pattern in the upper sternum area, around the areolas].
- Palpation of the mammae, the two supraclavicular pits (upper clavicle pits) and axillae (axillae) [Normal: unremarkable].
- Inspection
- Health check
Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.