Introduction: Adolescent girls often visit the outpatient endocrinological clinic because of menstrual disorders. The problem arises whether to recognize the menstrual cycle irregularity as a physiology of the adolescence or to initiate diagnostic procedures to exclude pathology. Although irregular menses during first 3 years after menarche are usually symptoms of hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis immaturity, it does not exclude disorders to be subject of diagnosis and treatment. THE AIM OF THE STUDY was to evaluate causes of menstrual disorders in adolescent girls, who visited the outpatient clinic of the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology for Children and Adolescents, Wroclaw Medical University, between 2001-2005.
Material and methods: The study comprised 76 patients, who visited the outpatient endocrinological clinic because of menstrual disorders. Only the girls at least 2 years after menarche or with amenorrhoea primaria were included. The following parameters were analyzed: age, age of menarche, height and body mass, BMI, evidences of androgen excess, hormone levels, gynecological and ultrasound examination.
Results: Average age in the examined group was 16.2 years (min 12.5, max 20), average age of menarche was 12.5 years. Evidence of androgens excess were found in 48 patients (63.2%). The girls were coming to the clinic most often because of rare menses, most rarely because of primary lack of menstruation. Depending on the type of disorders they were divided into five groups: group I--amenorrhoea primaria--4 patients (5.3%), group II--amenorrhoea secundaria--14 patients (18.4%), group III--oligomenorrhoea--38 patients (50%), group IV--polymenorhea--8 patients (10.5%), group V--mixed disorders--12 patients (15.8%). The causes of menstrual disorders depended on the group.
Conclusions: 1. Menstruation cycles irregularity in the first years after menarche may be a symptom of pathology demanding diagnosis and treatment. 2. PCO should be taken into consideration as a frequent cause of menstrual disorders in adolescent girls.