Urinary Excretion of 17-Ketosteroids in Ovarian Failure IV. During the Climacteric and after Artificial Menopause1

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The urinary excretion of 17-ketosteroids was investigated in 4 groups of [female][female], totaling 41. Group 1, 12 [female][female], aged 35-51 yrs., with ovarian failure presumably due to premenopausal stage of the climacteric; group 2, 5 [female][female], aged 39-45 yrs., with amenorrhea of relatively short durations, related to previous Ra or roentgenologic therapy; group 3, 12 [female][female], aged 21-48 yrs., with complete hypoovarianism due to bilateral oophorectomies; and group 4, 12 [female][female], aged 42-74 yrs. who had experienced physiologic menopauses. The majority of the patients of group 1 excreted increased amts. of 17-ketosteroids. No definite increases in the urinary values of 17-ketosteroids were found in the patients of group 2. In group 3, the urinary values of 17-ketosteroids were normal in [female][female] recently oopho-rectomized, that is, 9-24 days previously; these were increased definitely in [female][female] whose operations had been done from 7 mos. to 8 yrs. previously; and these titers were normal in 2 [female][female], whose operations had occurred 16 yrs. previously. Quite similar findings were encountered in group 4; urinary titers of 17-ketosteroids were increased in those [female][female] whose menopauses had occurred from 5-12 mos. and from 2-5 yrs. previously, the latter group showing the higher values. In those [female][female] whose menopauses had been experienced 14-26 yrs. previously, the urinary titers of 17-ketosteroids were essentially normal. The findings agree well with those of patients with intercurrent amenorrhea, presented in the previous communication. They are held to support the thesis that intercurrent or adult estrogenic ovarian failure is followed by adrenal hyperactivity. Adrenal hyperactivity under these circumstances is considered to be an expression of intimate reciprocities between the adreno-pituitary and ovario-pituitary axes, which are mediated by the pituitary. Theories, based upon these reciprocities, are applied to ovarian failure in general and to the hormonologies of the climacteric and of somatic aging.

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit: