Idiopathic primary ovarian insufficiency: a study of serial hormonal profiles to assess ovarian follicular activity.

BACKGROUND Ovarian follicular activity in serial hormone profiles has been reported in up to 86% of patients with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). In most of these studies, patients had a short duration of amenorrhea or irregular menstrual cycles which could influence the occurrence of spontaneous follicular activity. The aim was to study the incidence of follicular activity in serial hormonal profiles of women with spontaneous POI and amenorrhea of 1 year duration. METHODS This observational study involved 20 patients with spontaneous POI, amenorrhea of >1 year duration and normal karyotype. Serum measurements of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E2), progesterone, free T3, free T4, thyroid-stimulating hormone and anti-thyroperoxidase antibodies, taken in the absence of estrogen replacement, were followed by weekly measurements of serum E2, FSH, LH and progesterone for 1 month then monthly measurements for 2 months. Increases in serum E2 >184 pmol/l and serum progesterone >10 nmol/l were taken as evidence of follicular activity and ovulation, respectively. RESULTS A rise in serum E2 >184 pmol/l was noted in 2/18 subjects [11.1%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.4-34.7%]. Though the corresponding serum FSH levels showed a decline, the values remained >40 IU/l. None of the subjects had serum progesterone levels >10 nmol/l, return of menses or pregnancy. CONCLUSION Endogenous ovarian follicular function is intermittently present in only 11.1% of Asian Indian women with POI. However, the 95% CI (1.4-34.7%) was large due to a small sample size.