Amenorrhoea Flashcards
What is amenorrhoea?
absence of menstrual periods
What is primary amenorrhoea?
Failure to commence menses in:
− Girls aged 16+ in the presence of secondary sexual characteristics
− Girls aged 14+ in the absence of secondary sexual characteristics
What is secondary amenorrhoea?
cessation of periods for more than 6 months after the menarche
What is oligomenorrhoea?
menstruation every 35 days to 6 months
What can causes of amenorrhoea be divided into?
Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal/thyroid gland Ovary Outflow tract
What are the hypothalamic causes of amenorrhoea?
Hypothalamic hypogonadism
Kallmann syndrome
What are the pituitary causes of amenorrhoea?
hyperprolactinaemia
Sheehan’s syndrome-
What are the adrenal/thyroid causes of amenorrhoea?
hypothyroidism leading to raised prolactin and amenorrhoea
androgen insensitivity syndrome
What are the ovarian causes of amenorrhoea?
PCOS (mainly oligomenorrhoea) Premature menopause Ovarian insufficiency/failure Turner's syndrome Gonadal dysgenesis
What are outflow tract problems that cause amenorrhoea?
imperforate hymen vaginal atresia cryptosmenorrhoea/haematocalpos Asherman's syndrome Cervical stenosis
What is hypothalamic hypogonadism?
dysfunction of the ovaries/testes due to dysfunction of the hypothalamus
there is reduced GnRH synthesis and LH and FSH are reduced
What are the causes of hypothalamic hypogonadism?
psychological factors
low weight/anorexia or XS exercise, tumours (uncommon)
What is Kallmann syndrome?
Form of hypothalamic hypogonadism in which there is failure in the correct action of GnRH, there is delayed or absent puberty w absent sense of smell
What is hyperprolactinaemia?
XS prolactin secretion reduces GnRH release
What are the features of hyperprolactinaemia?
galactorrhoea (milky nipple discharge), reduced libido
subfertility