Hydrocephalus, Primary and Secondary Amenorrhea, and Fibrocystic Breast Disease

Lesson 9 Cases
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Lesson 9 Cases
Hydrocephalus is a central nervous system (CNS) disorder in which there is an excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in brain ventricles (Kahle et al., 2016). The disorder may occur at any age but is common in children. The pathophysiology of hydrocephalus is not well known, but it can result from a variety of disorders that affect the central nervous system such as hemorrhage, infections, strokes and brain tumors. Hydrocephalus may cause a cognitive and physical handicap.
When menses fail to occur by the time a girl reaches the age of 16 years, she said to have primary amenorrhea. Secondary amenorrhea is when menses stops after having started. When menses occur at intervals longer than 35 days, then it is oligomenorrhea (Balen & Conway, 2018). Regular menstrual cycles occur when the secretion of estradiol and progesterone (ovarian hormones) is orderly in response to stimulation by the hypothalamus and pituitary. Amenorrhea occurs if the pituitary and hypothalamus fail to provide the necessary stimulation to the ovary causing insufficient production of estradiol or the failure of ovulation and progesterone production.
In some cases, hydrocephalus may lead to primary amenorrhea. Hydrocephalus or space-occupying lesions of the CNS may affect the hypothalamus and pituitary gland affecting the secretion or production of GnRH and both “luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) respectively” (Hamilton & Iskandar, 2018). Low levels or absence of FSH and LH in circulation will make the ovary fail to initiate the menstrual cycle and hence no menses for the woman. The occurrence of this condition before puberty will lead to primary amenorrhea where a woman lacks secondary sex characteristics.
Fibrocystic breast disease (FBC) is a medical condition where non-cancerous lumps form in the breast tissue. FBC mainly affects women in the reproductive age group. It is a benign condi...