Abstract
It has been recognized for many years that the perimenopause is a phase during which the menstrual pattern may become increasingly variable and erratic as ovarian function gears down to a low level. Variations in the menstrual pattern at this stage of life have substantial implications because they are an important indicator to individual women of the approach of a major life change. Indeed, the cessation of menses is the event that defines the occurrence of menopause — “the last natural menstrual period which a woman experiences” — an event that can be determined only in retrospect.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Richardson SJ, Senikas V, Nelson JF. Follicular depletion during the menopausal transition: evidence for accelerated loss and ultimate exhaustion. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1987;65:1231–7.
Treloar AE, Boynton RE, Behn BG, Brown BW. Variation of the human menstrual cycle through reproductive life. Int J Fertil 1967;12:77–126.
Vollman RF. The menstrual cycle. Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 1977.
Treloar AE. Menarche, menopause and intervening fecundity. Hum Biol 1974;46:89–107.
Treloar AE. Menstrual cyclicity and the premenopause. Maturitas 1981; 3:49–64.
Jeyaseelan L, Antonisamy B, Rao PS. Pattern of menstrual cycle length in South Indian women: a prospective study. Soc Biol 1992;39:306–9.
Wallace RB, Sherman BM, Beau JA, Treloar AE, Schlabaugh L. Probability of menopause with increasing duration of amenorrhea in middle-aged women. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1979;135:1021–4.
Seltzer VL, Benjamin F, Deutsch S. Perimenopausal bleeding patterns and pathologic findings. J Am Med Worn Assoc 1990;45:132–4.
Doring GK. The incidence of anovular cycles in women. J Reprod Fertil 1969; suppl 6:77–81.
Sherman BM, Korenman SG. Hormonal characteristics of the menstrual cycle throughout reproductive life. J Clin Invest 1975; 55:699–706.
Schröder R. Endometrial hyperplasia in relation to genital function. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1954;68:294–309.
Fraser IS, Baird DT. Endometrial cystic glandular hyperplasia in adolescent girls. J Obstet Gynaecol Br Cwlth 1972;79:1009–15.
Novak ER. Ovulation after fifty. Obstet Gynecol 1970;36:903–10.
Hallberg L, Hogdahl AM, Nilsson L, Rybo G. Menstrual blood loss — a population study. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 1966;45:320–51.
Cole SK, Billewicz WZ, Thomson AM. Sources of variation in menstrual blood loss. J Obstet Gynaecol Br Cwlth 1971;78:933–9.
Rybo G, Leman J, Tibblin E. Epidemiology of menstrual blood loss. In: Baird DT, Michie EA, eds. Mechanism of menstrual bleeding. New York: Raven Press, 1983:181–93.
Fraser IS, McCarron G, Markham R. A preliminary study of factors influencing perception of menstrual blood loss volume. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1984; 149:788–93.
Fraser IS, McCarron G, Markham R, Resta T. Blood and total fluid content of menstrual discharge. Obstet Gynecol 1985;65:194–8.
Fraser IS, Baird DT. Blood production and ovarian secretion rates of estradiol-17β and estrone in women with dysfunctional uterine bleeding. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1974;39:564–70.
Rees MCP, Barlow DH. Quantitation of hormone replacement-induced withdrawal bleeds. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 1991;98:106–7.
Quinn M, Neale BJ, Fortune DW. Endometrial carcinoma in premenopausal women: a clinico-pathological study. Gynaecol Oncol 1985;20:298–306.
Fraser IS, McCarron G, Markham R, Resta T, Watts A. Objective measurement of menstrual blood loss in women with a complaint of menorrhagia associated with pelvic disease or a coagulation disorder. Obstet Gynecol 1986;68:630–3.
Beazley JM. Dysfunctional uterine haemorrhage. Br J Hosp Med 1972;7:573–8.
Fraser IS. Hysteroscopy and laparoscopy in women with menorrhagia. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1990;162:1264–9.
Cameron IT. Dysfunctional uterine bleeding. Baillieres Clin Obstet Gynaecol 1989;3:315–28.
Cowan BD. Dysfunctional uterine bleeding: clues to efficacious approaches. In: Alexander NJ, ďArcangues C, eds. Steroid hormones and uterine bleeding. Washington: AAAS Press, 1992:9–15.
Drife JO, ed. Dysfunctional uterine bleeding and menorrhagia. Baillieres Clinical Obstet Gynaecol 1989;3:217–428.
Fraser IS. Treatment of menorrhagia. Baillieres Clin Obstet Gynaecol 1989;3:391–402.
Crosignani PG, Rubin B, eds. Review and guidelines on dysfunctional uterine bleeding. Study group of the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology. Hum Reprod 1990;5:637–8.
Hickey M, Fraser IS. Mechanisms and management of dysfunctional uterine bleeding. In: Fraser IS, Jansen RPS, Lobo R, Whitehead MI, eds. Estrogens and progestogens in clinical practice. London: Churchill Livingstone, 1996:in press.
Cameron IT, Fraser IS, Smith SK, eds. Clinical disorders of menstruation and the endometrium. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996:in press.
Haynes PJ, Anderson ABM, Turnbull AC. Patterns of menstrual blood loss in menorrhagia. Res Clin Forums 1979;1:73–8.
Gleeson N, Devitt M, Sheppard BL, Bonnar J. Endometrial fibrinolytic enzymes in women with normal menstruation and dysfunctional uterine bleeding. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 1993;100:768–71.
Markee JE. Menstruation in intraocular endometrial transplants in the rhesus monkey. Contrib Embryol (Carnegie Institute of Washington) 1940;28:219–308 (Publication no. 518).
Rees MCP, Dunhill MS, Anderson ABM, Turnbull AC. Quantitative uterine histology during the menstrual cycle related to measured blood loss. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 1984;91:662–6.
Hourihan HM, Sheppard BL, Bonnar J. The morphologic characteristics of menstrual haemostasis in patients with unexplained menorrhagia. Int J Gynecol Pathol 1989;8:221–9.
Fraser IS, McCarron G, Hutton B, Macey D. Endometrial blood flow measured by xenon-133 clearance in women with normal menstrual cycles and dysfunctional uterine bleeding. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1987;156:158–66.
Cameron IT, Leask R, Kelly RW, Baird DT. Endometrial prostaglandins in women with abnormal menstrual bleeding. Prostaglandins Leukotrienes Med 1987;29:249–58.
Adelentado JM, Rees MCP, Lopez Bernai A, Turnbull AC Increased uterine prostaglandin E receptors in menorrhagic women. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 1988;95:162–65.
Cameron IT, Davenport AP, van Papendorp C, et al. Endothelin-like reactivity in human endometrium. J Reprod Fertil 1992;95:623–8.
Marsh M, Salamonsen L, Rogers PAW, Healy DL, Findlay J. Endothelin and menstruation. Hum Reprod 1996;in press.
Goetz KL, Wang BC, Madwell JB. Cardiovascular, renal and endocrine responses to intravenous endothelin in conscious dogs. Am J Physiol 1988; 255:1064–8.
Rodgers WH, Matrisian LM, Giudice LC, et al. Patterns of matrix metalloproteinases expression in cycling endometrium imply differential functions and regulation by steroid hormones. J Clin Invest 1994;94:946–53.
Salamonsen L. Matrix metalloproteinases and menstruation. Hum Reprod 1996;in press.
Buhner JN, Johnson PM, Buhner D. Leucocyte populations in human decidua and endometrium. In: Gill TJ, Wegmann TJ, eds. Immunoregulation and fetal survival. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988:111–34.
Song JY, Russell P, Markham R, Manconi F, Fraser IS. The effect of high-dose progestogens on white cells and necrosis in human endometrium. Hum Reprod 1996;in press.
Sheppard BL. Coagulation and electron microscopy studies in menorrhagia. In: Shaw RW, ed. Advances in reproductive endocrinology. Vol 2: Dysfunctional uterine bleeding. Lancaster, England: Parthenon Press 1990;25–42.
Rybo G. Clinical and experimental studies on menstrual blood loss. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 1966;45(suppl):1–23.
Kasonde JM, Bonnar J. Plasminogen activators in the endometrium of women using intrauterine contraceptive devices. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 1976;83:315–9.
Foley ME, Griffin BD, Zugel M. Heparin-like activity in uterine fluid. Br Med J 1978;2:322–4.
Ferenczy A. Studies on the cytodynamics of human endometrial regeneration. 1. Scanning electron microscopy. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1976;124:64–74.
Ferenczy A. Studies on the cytodynamics of human endometrial regeneration. 2. Transmission electron microscopy and histochemistry. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1976;124:582–95.
Smith SK. Vascular endothelial growth factor and menstruation. Hum Reprod 1996;in press.
Johannisson E, Fournier K, Riotton G. Regeneration of the human endometrium and the presence of inflammatory white cells following diagnostic curettage. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 1981;60:451–7.
Brown JB, Kellar RJ, Matthew GD. Urinary oestrogen excretion in certain gynaecological disorders. J Obstet Gynaecol Br Emp 1959;66:177–211.
Fraser IS. Clinical manifestations and end-organ effects associated with abnormal gonadotropin release. Clin Obstet Gynaecol 1976;3:591–614.
Smith SK, Abel MH, Kelly RW, Baird DT. The synthesis of prostaglandins from persistent proliferative endometrium. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1982; 55:284–9.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1997 Springer-Verlarg New York, Inc.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Fraser, I.S. (1997). Menstrual Changes During the Perimenopause. In: Lobo, R.A. (eds) Perimenopause. Serono Symposia USA. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2288-0_17
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2288-0_17
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-7488-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-2288-0
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive