IMR Press / CEOG / Volume 35 / Issue 2 / pii/1630638491240-271374053

Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics & Gynecology (CEOG) is published by IMR Press from Volume 47 Issue 1 (2020). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with S.O.G.

Case Report
Secondary amenorrhea with normal ovulatory cycles in a young virgin with normal follicle stimulating hormone levels – a case report
Show Less
1 The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Camden Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, Camden N.J. (USA)
Clin. Exp. Obstet. Gynecol. 2008, 35(2), 147–148;
Published: 10 June 2008
Abstract

Purpose: To determine if normal ovulation is possible despite amenorrhea in the absence of any obvious uterine abnormalities or adhesions. Methods: The study was conducted on a 17-year-old virgin with normal sexual development and normal secondary sexual characteristics whose menarche was at age 12 but whose menses ceased after two menstruations. She was first treated with medroxyprogesterone acetate 10 mg x ten days and then a cycle of oral contraceptives. Results: She failed to get menses following progesterone (P) withdrawal and following a cycle of oral contraceptives. All of her pituitary function studies were normal. Her serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) was 3 mIU/mL, luteinizing hormone (LH) 9 mIU/mL, estradiol (E2) was 107 pg/mL and the serum P was 3.9 ng/mL. These values were consistent with recent ovulation. However menses failed to ensue. Conclusions: This case confirms that in humans, similar to some non-primates, ovulation is possible without shedding the endometrium. Possibly she lacked spiral arterioles similar to ovulating mammals. Her virginal introitus and lack of any serious febrile illness made Asherman’s syndrome highly unlikely. Her normal menstrual cycle at age 12 not only excluded a mullerian abnormality or imperforate hymen but led to speculation as to whether anovulatory bleeding from unopposed estrogen was possible but that somehow the presence of P inhibited the endometrial shedding process. In contrast to a previously reported study, this young woman almost had primary amenorrhea whereas the former case had more menses during her life but they ceased shortly after age 30.
Keywords
Secondary amenorrhea
Ovulation
Normal uterus
Share
Back to top