Evaluation of primary amenorrhea

Last reviewed: 9 Apr 2025
Last updated: 26 Feb 2025

Summary

Differentials

Common

  • Primary hypothalamic amenorrhea
  • Emotional/physical stress, eating disorder, or relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S)
  • Constitutional delay
  • Malnutrition or chronic disease state
  • Kallman syndrome (hypogonadotropic hypogonadism)
  • Hyperprolactinemia
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
  • Non-classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia
  • Turner syndrome or mixed gonadal dysgenesis
  • Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome (Mullerian agenesis)
  • Outflow tract obstruction, including imperforate hymen or transverse vaginal septum
Full details

Uncommon

  • Craniopharyngioma
  • Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor mutations
  • Post-encephalitis
  • Androgen-producing ovarian tumor
  • Androgen-producing adrenal tumor
  • XY gonadal dysgenesis (Swyer syndrome)
  • 5-alpha-reductase deficiency
  • 17-alpha-hydroxylase (CYP17) deficiency
  • Androgen insensitivity syndrome
Full details

Contributors

Authors

Meir Jonathon Solnik, MD
Meir Jonathon Solnik

Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Imaging (by cross-appointment)

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

University of Toronto

Head of Gynecology and Minimally Invasive Surgery

Mount Sinai Hospital & Women’s College Hospital

Toronto

Canada

Disclosures

MJS serves as an advisory board member for Pfizer, Integra Health, and Abbvie; and serves as a medical advisor for Felix Health Inc.

Acknowledgements

Dr Meir Jonathon Solnik would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Jessica Papillon-Smith, a previous contributor to this topic.

Disclosures

JP-S declared that she had no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

Anne K Smith, MD, MS, FACOG

Assistant Professor

Yale University

New Haven

CT

Disclosures

AKS declares that she has no competing interests.

Rachana Shah, MD

Associate Professor of Pediatrics

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Philadelphia

PA

Disclosures

RS declares that she has no competing interests.

Mary Ann Lumsden, BSc Hons, MBBS, MRCOG, MD, FRCOG

Head of Section

Reproductive and Maternal Medicine

University of Glasgow Royal Infirmary

Glasgow

Scotland

Disclosures

MAL declares that she has no competing interests.

References

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Key articles

Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Current evaluation of amenorrhea: a committee opinion. Fertil Steril. 2024 Jul;122(1):52-61.Full text  Abstract

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Committee on Practice Bulletins-Gynecology. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 605: primary ovarian insufficiency in adolescents and young women. Obstet Gynecol. 2014 Jul;124(1):193-7.Full text  Abstract

Legro RS, Arslanian SA, Ehrmann DA, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Dec;98(12):4565-92.Full text  Abstract

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Committee on Adolescent Health Care-Gynecology. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 728: Müllerian agenesis: diagnosis, management, and treatment. Obstet Gynecol. 2018 Jan;131(1):e35-42.Full text  Abstract

Reference articles

A full list of sources referenced in this topic is available to users with access to all of BMJ Best Practice.

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