THE STEIN—LEVENTHAL SYNDROME Clinical features This syndrome, both in its clinical and pathophysiological aspects, is one of the most contentious subjects in medicine. The ovarian changes seem to have been first recognized towards the end of the last century (see Goldzieher & Axelrod, 1963) but it derives its name from the gynaecologists who wrote on it in 1935. They described seven cases with polycystic ovaries and amenorrhoea (Stein & Leventhal, 1935). The syndrome consisted of menstrual irregularities terminating in secondary amenorrhoea, infertility and bilaterally enlarged ovaries with typical histological features. Hirsutism was also frequent. Stein has since regarded the condition as being uncommon—he had only operated on 108 cases in 34 years (Stein, 1964). In 29 years the number of cases seen at the Michael Reese Hospital was 114 (Leventhal, 1958). On the other hand, other workers have found the condition, as defined by them, much more common, seeing