title: The timing of natural menopause after uterine fibroid embolization: a prospective cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether uterine fibroid embolization before the age of 45 years advances the timing of natural menopause.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University tertiary-care center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-three regularly cycling women aged 35-44 years who underwent embolization and 43 age-matched control subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Annual assessments of menopausal status using prospectively recorded menstrual diaries and hormonal (serum FSH and E(2)) and ultrasound measures (ovarian volume and antral follicle count). Women were followed for 7 years or until they reached menopause.
  
  
  METHODS
  Age at menopause as computed by subtracting the date of birth from the exact date of the last menstrual period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over the study period, 9 patients (25%) and 12 control subjects (33%) became menopausal, 19 patients (53%) and 18 control subjects (50%) entered the menopausal transition (irregular cycles), and 8 patients (22%) and 6 control subjects (17%) continued to menstruate regularly. Mean menopausal age in the embolization group (48.94 ± 2.48 years) was not significantly different from that in the control group (49.52 ± 1.25 years). There was no significant difference of menopause occurrence between the groups. Longitudinal changes in hormonal and ultrasound measures were similar for the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This long-term follow-up study found no evidence for fibroid embolization advancing the timing of menopause in women before the age of 45 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy. giovanna.tropeano@rm.unicatt.it
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tropeano
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amoroso
authors.forename: Carmine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: di Stasi
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vizzielli
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonomo
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scambia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic / Q000379:methods*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy*; D008593:Menopause / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D004958:Estradiol; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone