Lecture 9– Menstrual disorders Flashcards
Amenorrhoea-
absence of periods
Oligomenorrhoea-
infrequent periods
Menorrhagia-
heavy/ prolonged menstrual bleeding
Dysmenorrhea-
painful menstruation
amenorrhea can be
primary or secondary
primary amenorrhea is defined as
no periods by age 16 and normal secondary characteristics
- or 14 years in abscence of other evidence of puberty
secondary amenorrhea is defined as
as the cessation of regular menses for three months or the cessation of irregular menses for six months.
causes of amenorrhea overview
- Overlap of presentation of primary and secondary is because secondary causes may present as primary if they happen early enough
causes of primary amenorrhea in those with normal secondary characteristics
-
Anatomical cause- Genitourinary malformations
- Imperforate hymen
- A vaginal septum
- Absent vagina
- Absent uterus
-
Imperforate hymen
*
- Congenital disorder where a hymen without an opening completely obstruct the vagina
- Caused by failure of the hymen to perforate during fetal development
- Most often diagnosed in adolescent girls when menstrual blood accumulates in vagina or uterus
- A vaginal septum
- Can be longitudinal or transverse
- Loss of outflow tract
causes of primary amenorrhea in those without normal secondary characteristics
-
Underling chromosomal or hormonal cause
- E.g. Turners syndrome
- Hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction
- Complete androgen insensitivity disorder
- Disease in the hypothalamus
turners syndrome
- 45XO (female missing a whole/partial X chromosome)
- 1:2500
- Cause incomplete development of the ovary
- Only stroma present at birth= streak ovaries/gonads
- Lab values
- Low oestrogen
- High FSH and LH
- No oestrogen= no pubertal changes
-
Complete androgen insensitivity disorder
*
- X linked recessive
- Resistant to testosterone due to a defect in androgen receptor
- 46XY but normal female phenotype (external)
- actually a boy in a females body
- Testes may be palpable in the labia or inguinal area
- Absence of the upper vagina, uterus and fallopian tubes
- Testes should be surgically excised after puberty
-
Disease in the hypothalamus
-
Isolated GnRH deficiency
*
-
Isolated GnRH deficiency
- Idiopathic hyopgonadotrophic hypogonadism
- Autosomal dominant or X-linked autosomal recessive
- Poor development of secondary sexual characteristic
- With anosmia (smell blindness)= kallman syndrome
clinical checklisrt for primary amenorrhea
causes of secondary emnorrhea
- anatomical causes
- scarring
- ovarian disorders
- PCOS
- thyroid disease
- hyperprolactinemia
- pituitary necrosis
- functional hypothalamic amenorrhea
-
Scarring
*
- Cervical stenosis
- Asherman syndrome (intrauterine adhesions)
- Ovarian disorders
Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI)- “premature menopause”
- Depletion of oocytes before age of 40
No oestrogen, no inhibin= high FSH (loss of negative feedback)
-
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
*
- 20% of amenorrhea (up to 50% of oligomenorrhea)
- Elevated LH
- Raised insulin resistance
- May be asymptomatic
- Polycystic ovaries on ultrasound
- Multiple small follicles
- Treatment (Rx)
- Lifestyle changes
- COCP- change in contraceptive pill