PREMATURE OVARIAN FAILURE

Abstract

Twenty-six patients with premature ovarian failure (last menstrual period before the age of 30 years) were evaluated clinically and endocrinologically and, in addition, ovarian biopsies were obtained in 15 out of the 26 patients. Only 1 of the patients revealed a family history of early menopause. The typical menstrual pattern indicated a normal age at menarche with regular periods for various length of time followed either by amenorrhoea abruptly or by a period of oligomenorrhoea before the onset of amenorrhoea. All patients showed normal or slightly underdeveloped secondary sexual characteristics, and it should be noted that 2 patients had been pregnant previously.It was characteristic of all patients that the excretion of total gonadotropins was constantly increased and that the excretion of total oestrogens was low, whereas both the adrenal and thyroid function were normal. All patients were X-chromatin positive.In 13 out of the 15 patients, in whom ovarian biopsies were obtained, the histological exa...