BMJ  2008;336:833 (12 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.39371.652604.94

Practice

10-minute consultation

Suspected premature menopause

¹ Health Services Research Section, School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 4DA, ² University of Sheffield, Jessop Wing Hospital, Sheffield S10 2JT, ³ Division of Primary Medical Care, University of Sheffield, Northern General Hospital, Sheffield S5 7AU

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

A 34 year old woman who attends your surgery has a 12 month history of irregular periods (increasing cycle length). She has never been pregnant. Her mother’s menopause began in her late 30s, and your patient is worried about her own current and future fertility.

What issues you should cover

• Discuss the possibility of premature ovarian failure, but tell her this is uncommon at age 34 and that other causes of menstrual irregularity—the most common of which would be polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) with anovulation—can usually be treated successfully. However, premature ovarian failure does have a familial component, so it is important to exclude this important possible diagnosis, as it has major implications for her future fertility.
  
• Ask about her menstrual history: age at menarche, dysmenorrhoea or menorrhagia, cycle length in the past.
  
• Ask about signsof PCOS (weight gain, hirsutism, acne, acanthosis nigricans) and family history of diabetes.
  
• Consider other causes of oligomenorrhoea and their . . . [Full text of this article]

Useful resources
Internet resources for patients

What you should do

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Relevant Article

Article’s recommendation of HRT is highly questionable

Mark D Lewars
BMJ 2008 336: 1033-1034. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Lewars, M. D (2008). Article's recommendation of HRT is highly questionable. BMJ 336: 1033-1034 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

10 minute consultation:suspected premature menopause

Mohammad A Javid
bmj.com, 11 Apr 2008 [Full text]

Highly Questionable Recommendation of HRT.

Mark D Lewars
bmj.com, 21 Apr 2008 [Full text]

Re: Highly Questionable Recommendation of HRT.

Toby Nicholas Fay
bmj.com, 13 May 2008 [Full text]