Session 5: Menstrual Disorders Flashcards
Define amenorrhoea
Absence of menstruation
What can amenorrhoea be divided into?
Primary amenorrhoea
Secondary amenorrhoea
Define primary amenorrhoea
When a patient never had a period by 16 years old.
Common causes of primary amenorrhoea?
(Not specific just broadly)
Congenital
Hormonal
Structural
Define secondary amenorrhoea.
Patient started having periods but for some reason they have stopped.
Defined as being without one’s period for 6 months.
Common causes of physiological secondary amenorrhoea
Pregnancy
Menopause
Define oligomenorrhoea
Menstruation that has reduced in frequency. Leading to a cycle length >35 days.
Define menorrhagia.
Heavy menstrual bleeding.
Objective volume >80 ml.
Subjective volume - Opinion of patient that period have become heavier or that she is passing clots.
Most common cause of primary amenorrhoea.
Turner’s syndrome
Explain Turner’s syndrome
45 XO meaning that you lack an X chromosome.
Ovary does not complete its normal develpoment (dysgenesis)
This leads to low levels of oestradiol (oestrogen) and high FSH and LH due to the lack of negative feedback.
No oestrogen = no puberty = no menses
Other causes of primary amenorrhoea
Anatomical causes
Complete androgen insensitivity syndrome
Hypothalamic and pituitary disease
Give some anatomical causes of primary amenorrhoea.
Imperforate hymen
Transverse vaginal septum
Mullerian agenesis (Mayer Rokitansky Kuster Hauser Syndrome)
Explain imperforate hymen.
When the hymen (opening of the vagina to the vaginal canal) is not actually not an opening but shut.
Explain transverse vaginal septum.
Failure of fusion of the paramesonephric duct and urogenital sinus.
Explain mullerian agenesis (MRKH)
When the paramesonephric duct degenerates leading to congenital absence of the proximal vagina and agenesis of the cervix.
This can also vary in degree of how developed the uterine will be. From fully developed to non-developed.
Explain Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome
X-linked recessive disorder.
In this condition the patient is resistant to testosterone due to a defect in the androgen receptor.
Patients with this are genotypically male (XY) but have normal external genitalia female phenotype.
The testes may be palpable in the labia or inguinal area and there is an absence of the upper vagina, uterus and fallopian tubes.
Explain hypothalamic and pituitary diseases leading to primary amenorrhoea.
Isolated GnRH deficiency:
Idiopathic hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism which is a autosomal dominant or x-linked autosomal recessive disease. Poor development of secondary sexual characteristics.
This condition with anosmia is called Kallman syndrome.
Constitutional delay of puberty
Causes of secondary amenorrhoea
(No specifics only broad)
Anatomical/Structural
Endocrine
Hypothalamic and pituitary disease
Give examples of anatomical causes of secondary amenorrhoea
Scarring (most common) like cervical stenosis or Asherman syndrome which is intrauterine adhesions.
Ovarian disorders like Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) leading to premature menopause.