Oligomenorrhea
{{Short description|Less frequent menstruation}}
{{Infobox medical condition (new)
| name = Oligomenorrhea
| synonyms = Oligomenorrhoea
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| field = Gynecology
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Oligomenorrhea is infrequent menstrual periods.{{cite journal |last1=Riaz |first1=Yumna |last2=Parekh |first2=Utsav |title=Oligomenorrhea |journal=StatPearls |date=2023 |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560575/#:~:text=Oligomenorrhea%20is%20defined%20as%20irregular,or%20in%20the%20perimenopausal%20period. |publisher=StatPearls Publishing |PMID=32809410 }} Generally the menstrual periods occur at intervals of greater than 35 days, with less than 9 periods in a year, where previously there had been a regularly established pattern. The period may be light or short in duration, and irregular.
Causes
Oligomenorrhea can be a result of prolactinomas (adenomas of the anterior pituitary). It may be caused by thyrotoxicosis, hormonal changes in perimenopause, Prader–Willi syndrome, and Graves' disease.
Endurance exercises such as running or swimming can affect the reproductive physiology of female athletes. Female runners,{{cite journal |vauthors=Dale E, Gerlach DH, Wilhite AL |title=Menstrual dysfunction in distance runners |journal=Obstet Gynecol |volume=54 |issue=1 |pages=47–53 |year=1979 |pmid=313033 |doi= 10.1097/00006250-197907000-00013}}{{cite journal |vauthors=Wakat DK, Sweeney KA, Rogol AD |title=Reproductive system function in women cross-country runners |journal=Med Sci Sports Exerc |volume=14 |issue=4 |pages=263–9 |year=1982 |pmid=7132642 |doi= 10.1249/00005768-198204000-00002|doi-access=free }} swimmers{{cite journal |author=Frisch RE |title=Delayed menarche and amenorrhea of college athletes in relation to age of onset of training |journal=JAMA |volume=246 |issue=14 |pages=1559–1563 |year=1981 |pmid=7277629 |doi= 10.1001/jama.246.14.1559|name-list-style=vanc|author2=Gotz-Welbergen AV |author3=McArthur JW |display-authors=3 |last4=Albright |first4=T |last5=Witschi |first5=J |last6=Bullen |first6=B |last7=Birnholz |first7=J |last8=Reed |first8=RB |last9=Hermann |first9=H}} and ballet dancers{{cite journal |author=Warren MP |title=The effects of exercise on pubertal progression and reproductive function in girls |journal=J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. |volume=51 |issue=5 |pages=1150–1157 |year=1980 |pmid=6775000 |doi= 10.1210/jcem-51-5-1150}} either menstruate infrequently in comparison to non-athletic females of comparable age or exhibit amenorrhea. A more recent study shows that athletes competing in sports that emphasise thinness or a specific weight exhibit a higher rate of menstrual dysfunction than either athletes competing in sports with less focus on these or control subjects.{{cite journal |author=Torsiveit, MK |title=Participation in leanness sports but not training volume is associated with menstrual dysfunction: a national survey of 1276 elite athletes and controls |journal=British Journal of Sports Medicine |volume=39 |issue=3 |pages=141–147 |year=2005 |doi= 10.1136/bjsm.2003.011338 |pmc=1725151 |pmid=15728691}}
Breastfeeding has been linked to irregularity of menstrual cycles due to hormones that delay ovulation.
People with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are also likely to have oligomenorrhea. PCOS is a condition in which excessive androgens (male sex hormones) are released by the ovaries. People with PCOS show menstrual irregularities that range from oligomenorrhea and amenorrhea, to very heavy, irregular periods. The condition affects about 6% of premenopausal females.
Eating disorders can result in oligomenorrhea. Although menstrual disorders are most strongly associated with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa may also result in oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea. There is some controversy regarding the mechanism for the menstrual dysregulation, since amenorrhea may sometimes precede substantial weight loss in some anorexics.
See also
- Amenorrhea: a total cessation of the menstrual period
- Menorrhagia: unusually heavy periods
References
External links
{{Medical resources
| ICD10 = {{ICD10|N|91|5|n|80}}
| ICD9 = {{ICD9|626.1}}
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| DiseasesDB = 14843
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{{Diseases of the pelvis, genitals and breasts}}
{{Menstrual cycle}}