Characteristics menarche at age 11-14 entire cycle 28 +/- 7 days, with bleeding for 1 - 6 days polymenorrheaif < 21 days ol...
Characteristics
- menarche at age 11-14
- entire cycle 28 +/- 7 days, with bleeding for 1 - 6 days
- polymenorrheaif < 21 days
- oligomenorrheaif > 35 days
- 25-60 mL of blood loss per cycle
- Day 1 to days 3-7: Menstruation, FSH and LH levels are rising.
- Rising FSH stimulates growth of several ovarian follicles and maturation of an ovum.
- FSH and rising LH stimulate the follicles to produce estrogen.
- Estrogen causes proliferation of endometrium and further stimulates ripening of the ovum.
- Estrogen triggers a LH surge which is responsible for ovulation.
- After ovulation, progesterone produced by the corpus luteum stimulates secretory changes in the endometrium.
- Deterioration of the corpus luteum causes progesterone to decrease.
- Decreasing progesterone and estrogen stimulate pituitary to produce FSH and LH.
Proliferative/Follicular Phase
- first day of menses to ovulation
- variable in length
- low basal body temperature
- estrogenic
- endometrial priming
- ovarian follicular development
Ovulatory Phase
- LH surge leads to ovulation (14 days before the onset of menses
- temperature rise (0.5 C – 1 C )
- increased cervical, acellular mucous with spinnbarkeit (long stretchy threads) and ferning with KOH, seen under the microscope
- ovulation to onset of menses
- fixed in length: 14 days
- corpus luteum formation
- progesterone and estrogen secreted from corpus luteum
- progesterone prepares endometrium for embryo implantation
- without pregnancy ----> progesterone withdrawal ---> constriction of spiral arteries ----> ischemia and endometrial necrosis ----> menses
- while lining is being shed, surface epithelium is already beginning
to regenerate
