Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Flashcards
If female phenotype is the default, what happens to create male external genitalia in utero?
- Male genitalia requires testosterone to develop
- Sex-determining region SRY gene on Y chromosome is responsible for development of testes
- This, in turn, secretes AMH causing regression of the paramesonephric (Mullerian) ducts
- If any part of this fails, offspring will be genetically male but phenotypically female
Describe congenital adrenal hyperplasia
- Autosomal recessive condition
- Enzyme defects in adrenal steroidgenesis pathways
- Cortisol deficiency
- Increased ACTH secretion with build-up of cortisol precursors
- Increased androgen production
- 90% due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency
- If severe, aldosterone production = salt wasting
- Incidence 1:14 000 births
What are the clinical features of CAH?
- Commonest cause of ambiguous genitalia at birth
- Neonatal salt wasting crisis and hypoglycaemia
- Childhood virilisation = accelerated growth = early epiphyseal closure = restricted final height
- Hirsutism and oligomenorrhoea
Diagnosis:
- Elevated plasma 17-hydroxyprogesterone levels
- 24-hour urinary steroid analysis
If a woman has CAH, what can be expected of her fertility?
- Menstrual irregularities in 50%
- Natural fertility only 10% in salt losers
- PCO
- Fertility treatment same for women without CAH
- High levels of progesterone may be a contraceptive??
What is mainstay of treatment for CAH?
- Replacement of glucocorticoid to suppress ACTH and reduce excess androgen production
- Salt-losing CAH requires fludrocortisone and to replace aldosterone
- In pregnancy, requirement for both of these are increased further
What is XXY?
Klinefelter syndrome
- Male born with extra X chromosome
- Do not produce usual level of testosterone
- Infertile
What is XO?
Turner Syndrome
- Girl is born missing X chromosome
- Often infertile
- Shorter than average, lower IQ
Describe tanner I staging of puberty
- Prepubertal, no breast or pubic hair
Describe tanner II stage of puberty
- Accelerated growth, breast budding, spare straight pubic hair
Describe tanner III stage of puberty
- Peak growth velocity, elevation of breast contour, coarse curly pubic hair spreading to mons pubis, axillary hair
Describe tanner IV stage of puberty
- Growth slowing, araeloe form secondary mount, adult pubic hair, no spread to thigh
Describe tanner V stage of puberty
- No further increase in height, adult breast contour, adult pubic hair and distribution
Which tanner stage does menarche occur in?
III or IV
Define precocious puberty
Appearance of secondary sexual characteristics <8 in girls and <9 in boys
What causes gonadotrophin-dependent and gonadotrophin-independent precocious puberty?
Gonadotrophin-dependent
- HPO axis activated
- Idiopathic or CNS tumours and malformations
Gonadotrophin-independent
- Pubertal sex steroids but gonadotrophin levels suppressed
- Disorders of gonads/adrenals
- Secretion of sex steroids by tumours
- Ingestion of estrogen
Describe pre pubertal vulvovaginitis
- Peaks 3-7 years
- Offensive yellow/green discharge, soreness, itching
- Poor perineal hygiene, lack of estrogen, chemical irritation
- Conservative tx, resolves as approaches puberty
What would make you suspect a foreign body in pre pubertal girl?
FB is uncommon
May suspect if vaginal bleeding or persistent offensive discharge
EUA if suspected
Describe labial adhesions in pre pubertal girls
- 3.3% of pre-pubertal girls
- Peaks in 1st year of life
- Thin membrane in midline extending from posterior fourchette towards urethral opening
- Most asymptomatic, may have urinary symptoms
- Other investigation not indicated
- Estrogen cream if symptomatic
- Resolves by early puberty
- Do not need surgery
Describe androgen insensitivity syndrome
- X-linked recessive defect in androgen receptor gene
- XY karyotype
- Testes and normal testosterone production + metabolism, no mullerian structures
- Complete type = female external genitalia
- Partial type = ambiguous genitalia
- Complete may present with primary amenorrhoea or inguinal hernia
- Recommend gonadectomy (can delay until after puberty) as 5% risk of malignant change
- HRT until age 50 and BMD monitoring
- Psychological management
- Vaginal development variable - can use dilation
Primary amenorrhoea
- What are the causes of hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism?
(Reduced FSH, reduced LH, reduced estradiol)
Constitutional delay
- Reassure, follow-up, consider inducing puberty
Chronic systemic disease
- T1DM, hypothyroidism, coeliac, chronic renal disease, prader-willi
Underweight
- BMI>19 required for normal puberty
Kallmann’s syndrome
- Congenital absence of GnRH neurones
- Anosmia, colour blindness
- X-linked recessive or autosomal dominant
Primary amenorrhoea
- What are the causes of hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism?
Increased FSH and LH, reduced estradiol
- Perform karyotype
46XX - POI
45XO - Turners Syndrome
46XY - Swyer Syndrome
- Chromosomal male
- Dysgenic testes - do not inhibit mullerian system and don’t produce androgens
- Therefore fallopian tubes, uterus and vagina can remain
- Remove testes
- USS differentiates between AIS due to presence of internal female genitals
Klinefelter syndrome in men
XXX females
Testicular/ovarian failure
AIS
Can induce puberty
- Start age 10, very low dose of EE
- Add progestogen after 6 months
- COC vs HRT
In a female teenager with primary amenorrhoea, what could cause normal FSH and LH, reduced estradiol, and increased testosterone?
Androgen insensitivity syndrome
46XY
Normal breasts, sparse hair
USS - absent uterus + upper vagina, no ovaries
Testes still present
Primary amenorrhoea
- What would cause normal FSH/LH/estradiol, with normal secondary characteristics, and 46XX chromosomes?
Rokitansky syndrome
- USS absent uterus and upper vagina, ovaries present
- Failure of development of mullerian duct
- May have renal abnormalities
- Vaginal reconstruction
Imperforate hymen / absent vagina
- USS normal uterus and ovaries
- Cyclical pain
- Surgical management
What investigations would you do for a prepubertal ovarian cyst?
<10% of malignant, but malignant ovarian tumours = 1% of all childhood cancers
- Check FSH, LH, estradiol, TFTs
- If complex, hCG, AFP, LDH, Ca125 +/- MRI
What malignant ovarian masses occur in children?
- Dysgerminoma
- Endodermal sinus tumour (increased AFP)
- Embryonal carcinoma
- Choriocarcinoma (increased hCG)
A 13 year old girl attends clinic with HMB, what investigations can you do?
Similar management to adults, anovulatory cycles are leading cause
- FBC
- Ferritin
- Coag screen (20% have a bleeding disorder)
- TFTs
- Pelvic USS
- Consider STI screen and PT
What is catamenial epilepsy?
Increased seizure frequency during sections of menstrual cycle
Define primary and secondary amenorrhoea
Primary
- Failure of menstruation by age 16 in the presence of normal secondary sexual characteristics
- By age 14 in the absence of other evidence of puberty
Secondary
- Absent periods for 6+ months when has had previously regular periods (or 12+ months if previous oligomenorrhoea)
You measure a patient’s prolactin level, and it is <500 - what do you advise?
Nothing, normal range and reassure