AMENORRHOEA, OLIGOMENORRHOEA AND PCOS Flashcards
What is the difference between primary and secondary amenorrhoea?
Primary is when menstruation has not started by the age of 16. Relatively uncommon.
Secondary is when menstruation has occurred in the past, but has then been absent for 6 months or more.
What are the causes of primary amenorrhoea?
Delayed puberty
Genital tract anomaly
Turner syndrome or other gonadal dysgenesis
Androgen insensitivity syndrome
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
What is Turner syndrome?
A condition in which a female is partly or completely missing an X chromosome.
What are the features of Turner syndrome?
Short stature
Webbed neck
Widely spaced nipples
Bicuspid aortic valve
Coarctation of the aorta
Primary amenorrhoea
Cystic hygroma
High arched palate
Short fourth metacarpal
Multipigmented naevi
Lymphoedema in neonates
What is congenital adrenal hyperplasia?
Type 1 is the most common and denotes a deficiency in 21-hydroxylase which leads to deficiency of cortisol and aldosterone. No cortisol therefore to suppress release of ACTH. ACTH continues to stimulate adrenal gland leading to hyperplasia and excessive release of androgens.
What are the features of congenital adrenal hyperplasia?
Excess androgen release
Increased plasma 17-hydroxyprogesterone levels
Increased plasma 21-deoxycortisol levels
Increased urinary adrenocorticosteroid metabolites
Precocious puberty in males (sometimes as early as 6 months) and some females - this can cause early bone epiphyseal fusion and therefore short adult height.
Virilism - masculinisation in females (similar to polycystic ovarian syndrome) - masculine body shape, balding of temporal skull, increased bulk, deepening of voice, enlargement of clitoris.
Obesity
Oligomenorrhea/amenorrhoea
What is androgen insensitivity syndrome
A condition that results in the partial or complete inability of the cell to respond to androgens. This therefore only affects those born XY. However, often this is not discovered until puberty where the patient does not begin menstruation as they do not have ovaries.
At what age should you investigate primary amenorrhoea?
If they have no secondary sexual characteristics then investigate from 14
If they have otherwise normal sexual characteristics then investigate from 16
What are the causes of secondary amenorrhoea?
Physiological
Hypothalamic
Androgen secreting tumours
Hyperprolactinaemia
Premature ovarian failure
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (often primary but can also cause precocious puberty followed by amenorrhea)
Not related to changes in sex hormones
What are the physiological causes of secondary amenorrhoea?
Pregnancy
Lactation
Menopause
What are the causes of hypothalamic amenorrhoea (relating to reduced function of the hypothalamus or pituitary gland)?
Weight loss - ED
Stress
Athlete
Systemic illness
Sheehan’s syndrome
What is Sheehan’s syndrome and how do we treat it?
This is where there is hypopituitarism caused by ischemic necrosis due to blood loss and hypovolemic shock during and after childbirth. A major complication of PPH.
Requires oestrogen replacement therapy in the form of the COCP or HRT to prevent osteoporosis. Addition of other pituitary hormones might also be necessary.
Where are androgen secreting tumours that cause secondary amenorrhoea usually found?
Ovaries
Adrenal glands
What are the causes of premature ovarian failure?
Idiopathic
Post-chemotherapy
Post-radiotherapy
Oophorectomy
What is the pathogenesis of polycystic ovarian syndrome?
Polycystic ovaries develop when the ovaries are stimulated to produce excessive amounts of male hormones (androgens), in particular testosterone, by either:
Excessive luteinizing hormone (LH) by the anterior pituitary gland
High levels of insulin in the blood in women whose ovaries are sensitive to this stimulus