Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Compared to secondary amenorrhea, primary amenorrhea is deemed to be a rare condition. Our aim is to study its annual frequency during a long period of time, and to analyze its different aetiologies in an Endocrine Department.

Methods: All patients referred for primary amenorrhea between 1980 and 2012 were studied. We took in account personal and family history, clinical examination, hormonal, cytogenetic and immunological assessments, and radiological explorations.

Results: 155 cases were collected in 32 years=4.8 case/year. Their mean age at diagnosis was 20.4 years. For different aetiologies, we found endocrine origin in 151cases=97.5% and gynaecological causes in four patients (2.5%). The last ones were related to Rokitanski Kuster syndrome.

Among endocrine aetiologies, hypothalamic and pituitary causes were observed in 84=55.7%, ovarian causes in 54=35.7%, and male pseudo hermaphrodisms in 13=8.6%.

Conclusion: In our study it appears that primary amenorrhea is a relatively rare consultation motive. The consultation was late in all cases. Gynaecological causes are rare. Among endocrine causes, hypothalamic and pituitary causes are prevailing. For ovarian causes, chromosomal causes are the most frequent. Male pseudo hermaphrodisms account for 8.6%.