Premature ovarian failure

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:

Please help WikiDoc by adding content here. It’s easy! Click here to learn about editing.

Premature Ovarian Failure (POF) affects approximately 1-4% of the female population in the U.S., which is about 150,000 to 600,000 women. Normally, ovaries supply women with eggs until about age 51, the average age of natural menopause. POF is not menopause in that the dysfunction of the ovaries, loss of eggs, or removal of the ovaries at a young age is not a natural physiological occurrence. Infertility is the result of this condition, and is the most discussed problem resulting from it, but there are additional health implications of the problem, and studies are on-going. For example, osteoporosis or decreased bone density affects almost all women with POF due to an insufficiency of estrogen. There is also an increased risk of heart disease, hypothyroidism in the form of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Addison’s disease, and other auto-immune disorders for women with POF.

Template:WikiDoc Sources

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:

Please help WikiDoc by adding content here. It’s easy! Click here to learn about editing.

Template:WikiDoc Sources

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:

Please help WikiDoc by adding content here. It’s easy! Click here to learn about editing.

Template:WikiDoc Sources

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:

Please help WikiDoc by adding content here. It’s easy! Click here to learn about editing.

Hormonally, POF is defined by abnormally low levels of estrogen and high levels of FSH, which demonstrate that the ovaries are no longer responding to circulating FSH by producing estrogen and developing fertile eggs. The ovaries will likely appear shriveled. Age of onset can be as early as the teenage years but varies widely. If a girl never begins menstruation, it is called primary ovarian failure. The age of 40 was chosen as the cut-off point for a diagnosis of POF somewhat arbitrarily—as all women’s ovaries decline in function over time, an age needed to be chosen to distinguish usual menopause from the abnormal state of premature menopause. However, premature ovarian failure often has components to it that distinguish it from normal menopause. By the age of 40, approximately one percent of women have POF. Women suffering from POF usually experience menopausal symptoms, which are generally more severe than the symptoms found in older menopausal women.

Template:WikiDoc Sources

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:

Please help WikiDoc by adding content here. It’s easy! Click here to learn about editing.

Diseases with similar symptoms:

• Hypogonadism
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Hypopituitarism

Template:WikiDoc Sources

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:

Please help WikiDoc by adding content here. It’s easy! Click here to learn about editing.

Template:WikiDoc Sources

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:

Please help WikiDoc by adding content here. It’s easy! Click here to learn about editing.

Family history and ovarian or other pelvic surgery earlier in life are implicated as risk factors for Premature ovarian failure.

Template:WikiDoc Sources

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:

Please help WikiDoc by adding content here. It’s easy! Click here to learn about editing.

Template:WikiDoc Sources

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:

Please help WikiDoc by adding content here. It’s easy! Click here to learn about editing.

Prognosis of most patients with premature ovarian failure may be good with the hormone replacement therapy.

Template:WikiDoc Sources