Amenorrhea
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Amenorrhea
Reproductive system
Male and female reproductive system disorders
Precocious puberty
Delayed puberty
Klinefelter syndrome
Turner syndrome
Androgen insensitivity syndrome
5-alpha-reductase deficiency
Kallmann syndrome
Male reproductive system disorders
Hypospadias and epispadias
Bladder exstrophy
Priapism
Penile cancer
Prostatitis
Benign prostatic hyperplasia
Prostate cancer
Cryptorchidism
Inguinal hernia
Varicocele
Epididymitis
Orchitis
Testicular torsion
Testicular cancer
Erectile dysfunction
Male hypoactive sexual desire disorder
Female reproductive system disorders
Amenorrhea
Ovarian cyst
Premature ovarian failure
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Ovarian torsion
Krukenberg tumor
Sex cord-gonadal stromal tumor
Surface epithelial-stromal tumor
Germ cell ovarian tumor
Uterine fibroid
Endometriosis
Endometritis
Endometrial hyperplasia
Endometrial cancer
Choriocarcinoma
Cervical cancer
Pelvic inflammatory disease
Urethritis
Female sexual interest and arousal disorder
Orgasmic dysfunction
Genito-pelvic pain and penetration disorder
Mastitis
Fibrocystic breast changes
Intraductal papilloma
Phyllodes tumor
Paget disease of the breast
Breast cancer
Hyperemesis gravidarum
Gestational hypertension
Preeclampsia & eclampsia
Gestational diabetes
Cervical incompetence
Placenta previa
Placenta accreta
Placental abruption
Oligohydramnios
Polyhydramnios
Potter sequence
Intrauterine growth restriction
Preterm labor
Postpartum hemorrhage
Chorioamnionitis
Congenital toxoplasmosis
Congenital cytomegalovirus (NORD)
Congenital syphilis
Neonatal conjunctivitis
Neonatal herpes simplex
Congenital rubella syndrome
Neonatal sepsis
Neonatal meningitis
Miscarriage
Gestational trophoblastic disease
Ectopic pregnancy
Fetal hydantoin syndrome
Fetal alcohol syndrome
Reproductive system pathology review
Disorders of sex chromosomes: Pathology review
Disorders of sexual development and sex hormones: Pathology review
Sexually transmitted infections: Vaginitis and cervicitis: Pathology review
Sexually transmitted infections: Warts and ulcers: Pathology review
HIV and AIDS: Pathology review
Penile conditions: Pathology review
Testicular and scrotal conditions: Pathology review
Prostate disorders and cancer: Pathology review
Testicular tumors: Pathology review
Uterine disorders: Pathology review
Ovarian cysts and tumors: Pathology review
Cervical cancer: Pathology review
Vaginal and vulvar disorders: Pathology review
Benign breast conditions: Pathology review
Breast cancer: Pathology review
Complications during pregnancy: Pathology review
Congenital TORCH infections: Pathology review
Assessments
Amenorrhea
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First Aid
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Amenorrhea
antiandrogens p. 682
cirrhosis p. 398
Cushing syndrome p. 354
cystic fibrosis p. 58
ectopic pregnancy and p. NaN
menopause p. 652
Müllerian agenesis p. 646
PCOS p. 670
pituitary adenoma and p. 544
pituitary prolactinomas p. 335
Turner syndrome p. 661
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Transcript
Content Reviewers
Contributors
Alex Aranda
Amenorrhea means no menstruation.
It’s normal before puberty, during pregnancy and lactation, and after menopause.
Sometimes though, menstruation either never starts, which is called primary amenorrhea, or suddenly stops in a person who’s previously menstruating, which is called secondary amenorrhea.
Now, menstruation, and the menstrual cycle as a whole are controlled by the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, all the way up in the brain.
The hypothalamus secretes gonadotropin-releasing hormone, or GnRH, which makes the nearby anterior pituitary gland release follicle-stimulating hormone, or FSH, and luteinizing hormone, or LH.
In the first two weeks of a normal 28-day cycle, the ovaries go through the follicular phase, meaning that out of the many follicles scattered throughout the ovaries, a couple of them enter a race to become the dominant follicle, that will be released at ovulation.
All the developing follicles secrete loads of estrogen, which negatively inhibits pituitary FSH.
In the meantime, the uterus goes through two phases: the menstrual and proliferative phase.
During the menstrual phase, the functional layer of the endometrium is shed and eliminated through the vagina, leading to menstruation, which lasts an average of five days.
Summary
Amenorrhea is the absence of menstrual periods in women during reproductive years. There are two types of amenorrhea: primary and secondary. Primary amenorrhea is when periods have never started by the time a girl reaches 16 years old. Secondary amenorrhea is when periods have stopped for at least three months, even if they had started in the past.
There are many possible causes of amenorrhea, including pregnancy, hormone problems, problems with the ovaries or uterus, eating disorders, excessive exercise, and stress.
Sources
- "Robbins Basic Pathology" Elsevier (2017)
- "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, Twentieth Edition (Vol.1 & Vol.2)" McGraw-Hill Education / Medical (2018)
- "Pathophysiology of Disease: An Introduction to Clinical Medicine 8E" McGraw-Hill Education / Medical (2018)
- "CURRENT Medical Diagnosis and Treatment 2020" McGraw-Hill Education / Medical (2019)
- "Luteinizing Hormone Pulsatility Is Disrupted at a Threshold of Energy Availability in Regularly Menstruating Women" The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (2003)
- "Evaluation of extended and continuous use oral contraceptives" Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management (2008)
- "Role of leptin in energy-deprivation states: normal human physiology and clinical implications for hypothalamic amenorrhoea and anorexia nervosa" The Lancet (2005)
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