An 18-year-old woman was referred by her GP to the endocrinology department of the University Hospital of Bordeaux on suspicion of premature ovarian failure because of a disorder of the menstrual cycle and pathological results of biological exploration of the gonadotropic axis. Repeatedly-found elevated concentrations of FSH contrasted with a normal concentration of LH leading to a hypothesis of ovarian failure. However, different investigations favoured an analytical interference. The presence of heterophilic antibodies or anti-mouse antibodies (HAMA) was unlikely but, finally, a complex combining FSH and autoantibody (called macro-FSH) was evidenced.
Keywords: FSH; analytical interferences; auto-antibodies; macro-FSH.