Isolated Menarche
Key points
- This is a condition where young girls have cyclical uterine bleeding without any other signs of sexual maturation, and they have normal growth.
- The natural history during childhood has been described and the pattern of gonadotrophin secretion has also been documented, which is predominantly FSH.
- A clue to the diagnosis is often obtained because of the frequency of uterine bleeding, which is more often 6-weekly than monthly.
- It is important to exclude a local labial or vaginal cause for the bleeding, and there is often confusion about whether this is related to sexual abuse.
Isolated Menarche
This is a condition where young girls have cyclical uterine bleeding without any other signs of sexual maturation, and they have normal growth. The natural history during childhood has been described and the pattern of gonadotrophin secretion has also been documented, which is predominantly FSH. A clue to the diagnosis is often obtained because of the frequency of uterine bleeding, which is more often 6-weekly than monthly. It is important to exclude a local labial or vaginal cause for the bleeding, and there is often confusion about whether this is related to sexual abuse. No treatment is available and there tends to be a resolution of the condition after 1 or 2 years.
No long-term sequelae have been described.
Written and revised by
David Cohen, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
Explore health topics
More in this topic
Women's Health →
NewsNearly 10 percent of women live too far from access to gynecologic cancer care
More than one-third of counties in the Unites States are located more than 50 miles from the nearest gynecologic oncologist, making access to specialty care for ovarian and other gynecologic cancers difficult for nearly…
12 June 2015
NewsMenopause Symptoms Not Eased by Calcium, Vitamin D
Supplementation with calcium and vitamin D does not appear to influence the number of menopause-related vasomotor, mood, or sleep symptoms in older women, according to a new study. A secondary analysis of the Women's…
10 June 2015
NewsHormones Soon After Menopause Do Not Affect Cognition
Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) for up to 4 years after the last menstrual period did not improve cognition but did improve some mood symptoms, according to results of a study published online June 2 in PLOS Medicine.…
