Premenstrual Tension-Hormonal Profiles

Urinary oestrogen and pregnanediol excretion were measured daily throughout the menstrual cycle in 30 patients with premenstrual tension (PMT). These comprised 19 patients with the premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and 11 patients with menstrual distress (MDS). The results were compared with those obtained in 86 controls and in a subset of the control women matched for age and parity. Significant abnormalities of ovarian function were found in the premenstrual tension women when compared with the matched and total control groups. Significantly lower pregnanediol values were found during both the follicular and luteal phases; asynchrony was observed between the first pregnanediol rise and the pre-ovulatory oestrogen peak, the pregnanediol rise occurring later than in the controls; lower thannormal pre-ovulatory peak oestrogen and either very high or very low oestrogen values in the luteal phase were observed. Other major abnormalities in the PMT women included anovulatory cycles and short luteal phases. These results are discussed in relation to those of other workers.