Hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism with preserved fertility--a new syndrome?
It has been claimed that a follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) level above approximately 8 microgram/l indicates ovarian failure without functioning follicles in the ovaries. Exceptional cases with elevated FSH levels and a preserved follicular apparatus in the ovaries have been published. But in none of these cases has pregnancy been reported. This paper presents a case, which, to the best of our knowledge, is the first case in which pregnancy occurred in a patient with persistent hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism and a histologically verified normal number of primordial ovarian follicles. The finding of menopausal levels of plasma FSH is not sufficient by itself to exclude the existence of functioning follicles in the ovaries in an amenorrhoeic patient.
D000328:Adult; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000097:blood*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000473:pathology; D010053:Ovary / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D013577:Syndrome
D004967:Estrogens; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone