Future recovery of the normal menstrual cycle in adolescent patients with secondary amenorrhea.
OBJECTIVE
We attempted to determine the future recovery rate of normal menstrual cycles in adolescents with secondary amenorrhea. We also attempted to determine the difference in recovery rate between patients with and without etiological factors for amenorrhea, and between those with first- and second-degree secondary amenorrhea.


METHODS
We conducted questionnaire-based analysis of 35 patients with adolescent secondary amenorrhea. When the patients were over 20 years old, we obtained information as to the present menstruation status and the history of pregnancy.


RESULTS
Seventy-four percent of patients recovered their normal menstrual cycles after the age of 20. The recovery rate was significantly higher in patients with etiological factors (93%) than in those without (60%: P = 0.02). There was a trend towards a higher recovery rate in those with second-degree compared with first-degree amenorrhea, but this was not statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Three-quarters of adolescent patients with secondary amenorrhea recovered their normal menstrual cycles. The initial presence of etiological factors for amenorrhea raised the recovery rate. This data provides useful prognostic information for health providers taking care of adolescents with secondary amenorrhea.
Morimatsu
Yukako
Y
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan.
Matsubara
Shigeki
S
Watanabe
Takashi
T
Hashimoto
Yuko
Y
Matsui
Tomoe
T
Asada
Kyoko
K
Suzuki
Mitsuaki
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008598:Menstruation; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis; D011247:Pregnancy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications; D015431:Weight Loss
D004958:Estradiol; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone