Amenorrhea

This is a disorder of menstruation when it is absent for more than 6 months. Amenorrhea is not a diagnosis but a symptom indicating anatomical, biochemical, genetic, physiological, or psychological disorders. True amenorrhea: there are no cyclical changes in the ovaries, endometrium, and throughout the body. Ovarian hormonal function is weakened, insufficient sex hormones to induce cyclical changes in the endometrium. Suspected amenorrhea: there are cyclical changes in the ovaries, uterus, and throughout the body, but no menstruation. For example, a completely covering hymen, vaginal and cervical atrophy. Blood accumulates during menstruation in the vagina (hematocolpos), uterus (hematometra), fallopian tubes (hematosalpinx).

Physiological amenorrhea can occur immediately after menstruation, during pregnancy, and lactation. The etiology of amenorrhea is diverse: disorders of the sex glands, anomalies in the development of the uterus and ovaries, hypopituitarism, hypogonadism, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, psychological amenorrhea, exhaustion-induced, postpubertal, adrenogenital syndrome, diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, ovarian tumors, genetic factors, etc.

Source | Glossary of Most Commonly Used Biomedical Terms and Concepts | Lithuanian University of Health Sciences | Academician Professor Antanas Praškevičius, Professor Laima Ivanovienė