Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0029713 (immaturity)
 4,335 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Menorrhagia at the time of menarche is relatively common and historically attributed primarily to immaturity of the pituitary-ovarian-uterine axis. Intuitively, a proportion of these patients should have an underlying disorder of haemostasis, given the 5-20% prevalence of von Willebrand's disease and the > or =20% prevalence of platelet dysfunction in light of recent epidemiological studies in menorrhagia, although the average age of the patients in those studies has been approximately 35 years. However, there are a few comprehensive studies in the adolescent population determining whether widespread haemostasis evaluation should be carried out in adolescents presenting with menorrhagia. A retrospective chart review study of disorders of haemostasis was carried out in 61 consecutive adolescent patients, ages 11-19 at the time of evaluation referred to the Hemophilia Treatment Center (HTC)/Hematology unit. The mean and median ages were 15 +/- 2.2 and 14 years (11, 19), respectively. Standard evaluation included complete blood count, prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, von Willebrand factor (VWF) levels and platelet aggregation. The proportion of patients with VWF deficiency was 22/61 (36%) [95% confidence interval (CI), 24-49%]; the proportion of patients with platelet aggregation abnormalities was 4/61 (7%) (95% CI, 2-16%). There was no difference in the frequency of additional muco-cutaneous bleeding symptoms. A relatively high proportion of adolescents are identified with an underlying disorder of haemostasis when referred to an HTC for evaluation of menorrhagia. This involves in part a selective referral bias, but underscores the role of the HTC in evaluating adolescents referred with menorrhagia for an underlying bleeding disorder, given the relatively high yield of haemostatic disorders detected in this setting.
 ...
PMID:The prevalence of disorders of haemostasis in adolescents with menorrhagia referred to a haemophilia treatment centre. 1788 Apr 54

The first menstrual cycles following menarche are often caracterized by irregular and/or heavy bleeding. The adolescent patient may be worried by these episodes of bleeding. In 50-80% of cases these are anovulatory bleeding due to the immaturity of the gonadotrophic axis. Nevertheless pathologies such as von Willebrand disease, genital infection, polycystic ovary syndrom, eating disorders, a tumor or a pregnancy may be diagnosed by bleeding abnormalities. The challenge for the physician is to distinguish between bleeding abnormalities secondary to anovulation and pathologies where investigations and specific follow-up is mandatory. Adolescents who experience abnormal bleeding must be counceled according to their perceptions and expectations.
 ...
PMID:[Menstrual disorders in adolescents: commonplace or worrisome?]. 2064 87

Adolescence in girls is marked by a host of physical and psychological changes including those associated with menstruation. Heavy menstrual bleeding is one of the most commonly encountered medical problems during transition from childhood to adulthood. Although common, it is likely underreported given that the definition is dependent upon personal experience and influenced by their perception of "normal". Anovulatory cycles related to an immaturity of the hypothalamic pituitary ovarian axis seems to be common, however bleeding disorders such as coagulation factor deficiencies including von Willebrand disease, and quantitative and qualitative abnormalities of platelets must be ruled out. Other medical conditions such as endocrinopathies including diabetes mellitus, Cushing syndrome, polycystic ovarian syndrome, hypothyroidism, chronic hepatic and renal disease, anatomical uterine anomalies, pregnancy, obesity, medications causing hyperprolactinemia must also be considered. Management is based on the presence of hemodynamic instability and acuity of presentation. Treatment options include the use of combined oral contraceptive pills and antifibrinolytic agents; levonorgesterel impregnated intrauterine devices and or treatment of the specific underling bleeding disorder or endocrinopathy. Ongoing management needs to be accomplished through a multi disciplinary team approach in a comprehensive care setting with an adolescent gynecologist, hematologist, pediatrician, and nutritionist involved in the program for a better outcome of this problem.
 ...
PMID:Heavy menstrual bleeding in adolescents: hormonal or hematologic? 2203 58

Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) is a frequent complaint in adolescence. Although HMB is often caused by immaturity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, bleeding disorders are another common yet often unidentified cause. The aim of this study was to examine the bleeding patterns and prevalence of inherited bleeding disorders among females referred for HMB to a multidisciplinary adolescent haematology clinic. We retrospectively reviewed the first 105 patients (ages 8-18 years) referred to this specialty clinic from February 2009 to December 2011. Using menstrual bleeding questionnaires and medical records, data were extracted regarding demographics, bleeding patterns, frequency and types of bleeding disorders identified, and prescribed interventions. Sixty-two per cent of patients were diagnosed with a bleeding disorder, including platelet storage pool deficiency (36%), von Willebrand's disease (9%), other platelet function defect (8%), Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (7%) and combined bleeding disorders (2%). Comparison of the bleeding profiles for females with and without a bleeding disorder revealed only three factors that were significantly different, including the reported regularity of patients' periods (P = 0.02), description of period flow (P = 0.04) and number of days of each period that the bleeding was described as 'heavy' (P = 0.007). Bleeding disorders are prevalent in adolescent females presenting to a specialty clinic. Specifically, a relatively high proportion of adolescents were diagnosed with platelet storage pool deficiency. In our small population, menstrual bleeding profiles, as examined by a standardized questionnaire, could not identify females with an underlying bleeding disorder, demonstrating the important role of haemostasis testing in the evaluation of adolescents with HMB.
 ...
PMID:Menstrual bleeding patterns and prevalence of bleeding disorders in a multidisciplinary adolescent haematology clinic. 2300 46