Glossary

Author: Glossary

  • Stress amenorrhea

    Cessation of menses secondary to extreme mental or physical stress. The condition was first identified in women incarcerated in prisoner-of-war camps and has been observed in some female athletes and others undergoing intensive, rigorous training. It may be related to hormonal changes caused by stress or to the concomitant alteration in the ratio of muscle…

  • Postpartum amenorrhea

    Amenorrhea following childbirth that may last for only a month or two and thus would be within normal limits; or it may be permanent and thus abnormal.  

  • Physiological amenorrhea

    Absence of menstruation related to normal aspects of body function in response to age, such as immaturity in the prepubescent girl and aging in the postmenopausal woman, or to hormonal interruptions in the gonadotropic feedback loop, such as occur during pregnancy and lactation. It is not related to organic disease.  

  • Pathological amenorrhea

    Inability to menstruate related to organic damage, disease, or dysfunction. Common causes include hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction; ovarian dysfunction; alteration or obstruction of the genital outflow tract; congenital abnormalities; neoplasms; and injuries. Examples of inability to menstruate related to disease include Ascherman’s syndrome, Savage’s syndrome, Sheehan’s syndrome, and Turner’s syndrome.  

  • Hypothalamic amenorrhea

    Absence of menstruation related to interference with release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) or with pituitary release of follicle-stimulating hormone or luteinizing hormone. Hypothalamic dysfunction may be drug-induced (e.g., related to abuse of marijuana or tranquilizers); psychogenic (e.g., related to chronic anxiety); functional (e.g., related to excessive exercise, anorexia, or obesity); or related to chronic medical…

  • Hyperprolactinemic amenorrhea

    Amenorrhea due to an excessive secretion of prolactin by the pituitary.  

  • Exercise amenorrhea

    A form of stress-related failure to menstruate, often seen in women who participate in esp. intensive workouts or exercise programs.  

  • Emotional amenorrhea

    Amenorrhea resulting from shock, fright, or hysteria.  

  • Dietary amenorrhea

    Cessation of menses due to voluntary or involuntary (as in starvation) dietary restriction.  

  • Amenity

    Any element of health care delivery that increases patient satisfaction, whether or not it improves clinical outcomes.