What is hypogonadotropic amenorrhea?
HYPOGONADOTROPIC HYPOGONADISM Hypothalamic amenorrhea is associated with abnormalities in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion and disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis. The condition often is caused by excessive weight loss, exercise, or stress.
What is the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis?
The hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis (HPG axis) refers to the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and gonadal glands as if these individual endocrine glands were a single entity. Fluctuations in this axis cause changes in the hormones produced by each gland and have various local and systemic effects on the body.
How does pituitary disease cause amenorrhea?
Prolactin secreting pituitary adenomas can induce hyperprolactinemia, which suppresses LH and FSH, leading to amenorrhea. Some space-filling lesions compress the pituitary stalk and prevent negative feedback from dopamine, leading to hyperprolactinemia.
What is the function of hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis?
The hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis is primarily responsible for regulating reproductive activity and the release of ovarian hormones in animals and humans (Couse et al., 2003; Meethal and Atwood, 2005).
What causes hypothalamic amenorrhea?
Hypothalamic amenorrhea develops when poor nutrition or stress alters your signaling to the brain to regulate the menstrual cycle. Women with this condition may be severely restricting their caloric intake, exercising more than two to three hours a day, or under major psychological stress.
What are the causes of hypogonadotropic amenorrhea?
Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea, although rare in adolescents prior to onset of menses, is caused by excessive emotional stress, frequent exercise, significant weight loss and/or eating disorders, malnutrition, and chronic disease, such as type 1 diabetes, End stage renal disease, or HIV.
What is the gonadal axis?
The gonadal axis involves a complex interaction between the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and the gonads. This axis helps to regulate development, reproduction, ageing and many other key physiological processes.
What are gonads?
Both men and women have gonads. In males, they are the testes, or testicles, the male sex glands that are part of the male reproductive system. They are located behind the penis in a pouch of skin called the scrotum. The female gonads, the ovaries, are a pair of reproductive glands.
What is period of amenorrhea?
Amenorrhea (uh-men-o-REE-uh) is the absence of menstruation, often defined as missing one or more menstrual periods. Primary amenorrhea refers to the absence of menstruation in someone who has not had a period by age 15.
How do you know if you have hypothalamic amenorrhea?
Symptoms of hypothalamic amenorrhea include:
- Missed period(s) or very light bleeding during menstruation.
- Low libido.
- Feeling cold often.
- Depression and anxiety.
- Difficulty sleeping.
- Increased hunger.
- Low energy.
What is hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis quizlet?
What is the hypothalamic pituitary gondal axis? GnRH from the hypothalamus stimulates FSH and LH from gonadotrophs of the pituitary which stimulates the production of sex steroids.
What is hypothalamic amenorrhea?
Hypothalamic amenorrhea is a condition in which menstruation stops for several months due to a problem involving the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is in the center of the brain, controls reproduction, and produces gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH).
How is the hypothalamic pituitary and gonadal axis related?
The hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis ( HPG axis) refers to the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and gonadal glands as if these individual endocrine glands were a single entity. Because these glands often act in concert, physiologists and endocrinologists find it convenient and descriptive to speak of them as a single system.
How does the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis affect secondary amenorrhea?
In turn, decreased gonadotropin secretion leads to reduced estradiol production in the ovary. The disturbed hypothalamic–pituitary-ovarian axis in FHA cases is associated typically with stress, weight loss and/or excessive physical exercise and is one of the most common causes of secondary amenorrhea.
How is Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea different from other forms?
Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea should be, in each case, differentiated from other forms of primary or secondary amenorrhea. The basic approach to this distinction is an assessment of the gonadotropins and identifying hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism [6].
How does the HPG axis affect the hypothalamus?
Inhibin also has a negative-feedback effect on the hypothalamus. Inhibin has an indirect effect in which it inhibits the hypothalamus via inhibiting activin. The hormones produced by the HPG axis also contribute to secondary sex characteristics in males.