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Precocious Menopause: A Diagnostic Challenge

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Women’s Health in Menopause

Part of the book series: Medical Science Symposia Series ((MSSS,volume 7))

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Abstract

In the western world the median age of the menopause is close to 51 years of age [1,2]. At this age nearly all follicles have reached atresia and the remaining number is insufficient to sustain the cyclic hormonal process, necessary for menstruation. In modern statistic terms it would be natural to define precocious menopause as the cessation of menstruation before the age of two times the standard deviation of the mean age of menopause. However, precocious menopause is typically defined as occurring before the age of 40 [3]. Originally it has been assumed that precocious menopause is similar to the natural menopause with permanent loss of follicles and fertility. We do now know, that if we widen the definition, several reports in the literature demonstrate recurrent ovarian activity in women with well-documented premature ovarian failure. Since an increasing number of women are delaying pregnancy until an older age, and since we better understand that hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) is necessary in premature hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, early cessation of menses becomes a diagnostic challenge. Before discussing the several different pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying premature hypergonadotropic hypogonadism a short review will be given of normal ovarian development and of menopause.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital Nijmegen, 6500, HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    R. Rolland

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  1. R. Rolland
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    P. G. Crosignani

  2. Institute of Pharmacological Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    R. Paoletti

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

    P. M. Sarrel

  4. Department of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    N. K. Wenger

  5. Clinica Menopausa, Milan, Italy

    M. Meschia (Assistant Editor) (Assistant Editor)

  6. Institute of Pharmacological Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    M. Soma (Assistant Editor) (Assistant Editor)

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© 1994 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Rolland, R. (1994). Precocious Menopause: A Diagnostic Challenge. In: Crosignani, P.G., Paoletti, R., Sarrel, P.M., Wenger, N.K., Meschia, M., Soma, M. (eds) Women’s Health in Menopause. Medical Science Symposia Series, vol 7. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1024-2_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1024-2_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-4446-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-1024-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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