THE MENSTRUAL PATTERN IN THYROID DISEASE*†

Abstract

Seventeen of 18 presumably premenopausal female patients with thyrotoxicosis had oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea. Two of these were found to be flowing from a proliferative endo. metrium. The 3 with amenorrhea had evidence of ovulatory failure and hypoestrinism; one of them subsequently was found to be menopausal. The other 13 showed evidence that, in spite of a scanty or irregular flow, ovulation was occurring and, therefore, there was no major interference with the pituitary-ovarian axis. One patient was lost to follow-up. The remaining 16 patients resumed a normal menstrual pattern after appropriate therapy for the thyrotoxicosis. Seven of 10 unselected premenopausal myxedematous female patients demonstrated ovulatory failure and an 8th showed an inadequate corpus luteum effect on the endometrium. The remaining 2 patients had normal ovulation and normal menses. All resumed a normal pattern after receiving desiccated thyroid. The abnormalities were considered to be a result of inadequate luteinizing hormone production or effectiveness.