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Kwon, Lee, Jun, Lee, Ryu, Kang, Kim, Chae, Kim, and Kang: The etiological classification of amenorrhea in Korean women
Original Article
Korean Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Korean Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology 2011; 54(10): 605-610.

Published online: 19 October 2011

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5468/KJOG.2011.54.10.605

The etiological classification of amenorrhea in Korean women

Su-Kyoung Kwon, MD, Sun-Joo Lee, MD, Eun-Jin Jun, MD, Kyoung-Hee Lee, MD, Rae-Mi Ryu, MD, Hyuk-Jae Kang, MD, Sung-Hun Kim, MD, Hee-Dong Chae, MD, Chung-Hoon Kim, MD, Byung-Mun Kang, MD

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Corresponding author: Hee-Dong Chae, MD. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 388-1 Pungnap-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul 138-736, Korea. Tel: +82-2-3010-3649, Fax: +82-2-476-7331, hdchae@amc.seoul.kr

Received 24 May 2011       Accepted 29 June 2011

Copyright © 2011. Korean Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Objective

To investigate the causes of amenorrhea in Korean women.

Methods

A total of 741 patients with amenorrhea who visited the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Asan Medical Center were included in this study between January 1998 and May 2008. Patients were divided into three groups: age 10-20 was defined as group I, age 21-30 was group II and age 31-40 was group III. Amenorrhea was categorized into the primary amenorrhea and secondary amenorrhea.

Results

The number of patients with primary amenorrhea was 89 (12.0%) and secondary amenorrhea was 652 (88.0%). The number of patients with primary amenorrhea was 62 (22.6%) and secondary amenorrhea was 212 (77.4%) in age 10-20 group. In age 21-30 group, the number of primary amenorrhea was 27 (6.5%) and secondary amenorrhea was 389 (93.5%). In age 31-40 group, the number of secondary amenorrhea was 51 (100%). The causes of primary amenorrhea in group I were as follows; Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome (17.7%, 11/62), Turner syndrome (11.3%, 7/62), constitutional delay (9.7%, 6/62). In group II; MRKH syndrome (18.5%, 5/27), Turner syndrome (18.5%, 5/27), and Idopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (14.8%, 4/27). The causes of secondary amenorrhea in group I were as follows; Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS; 60.8%, 129/212), weight related hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (12.3%, 26/212), premature ovarian failure (POF; 9.9%, 21/212). In group II; PCOS (62.5%, 243/389), weight related hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (9.8%, 38/389), POF (9.3%, 36/389). In group III; POF (43.1%, 22/51), PCOS (17.6%, 9/51).

Conclusion

The common cause of primary amenorrhea were MRKH syndrome, Turner's syndrome, and the common cause of secondary amenorrhea were PCOS, POF, weight related hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.

Keywords: Amenorrhea, Causes

Figures and Tables

Table 1
Number of amenorrhea according to the age group
kjog-54-605-i001

Values are presented as number (%).

Group I, age 10-20; Group II, age 21-30; Group III, age 31-40.

Table 2
Classification of 89 patients with primary amenorrhea according to etiology
kjog-54-605-i002

Values are presented as number (%).

MRKH, Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser; Group I, age 10-20; Group II, age 21-30; Group III, age 31-40.

Table 3
Classification of 652 patients with secondary amenorrhea according to etiology
kjog-54-605-i003

Values are presented as number (%).

Group I, age 10-20; Group II, age 21-30; Group III, age 31-40.

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