Survey study, 1939
Can a skin condition timed to the menstrual cycle be linked to progesterone levels?
In one woman, a cyclic skin rash appearing before menstruation, along with menstrual headaches and heavy periods, was linked to high levels of progesterone metabolite in her urine. When hormone therapy lowered this level, she felt relief, but this is only one person.
What they did
Doctors documented the medical history of one woman who had a cyclic skin rash appearing during the second half of her menstrual cycle, heavy menstrual bleeding, painful periods, and menstrual headaches lasting approximately one year. They measured progesterone metabolite in her urine.
What they found
The woman had increased amounts of a progesterone metabolite (sodium pregnanediol glucuronide) in her urine. When she received hormone therapy that reduced how her body metabolizes progesterone and decreased the urinary levels of this metabolite, she reported subjective relief from her symptoms.
What it means for you
This one woman's premenstrual skin rash and other symptoms appeared connected to how her body handled progesterone. However, this is a single case from 1938, and what happened in this one woman may not apply to other women. The improvement was reported subjectively rather than objectively measured. More research is needed to understand if this connection exists in other women.
27
age of woman
1 year
duration of symptoms
14
age at first menstruation
About the study
- Original title
- A SYNDROME CHARACTERIZED BY PREMENSTRUAL DERMATOSIS, POLYHYPERMENORRHEA, DYSMENORRHEA, MENSTRUAL HEADACHE AND AN INCREASED URINARY EXCRETION OF SODIUM PREGNANEDIOL GLUCURONIDE
- Authors
- E. C. HAMBLEN
- Journal
- Endocrinology
- Year
- 1939
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- Hormone therapy to reduce progesterone metabolism.
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1210/endo-24-2-269
Topics
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