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History and physical examination

Authoring team

History:

  • age of menarche and development of secondary sexual characteristics
  • menstrual history - including regularity of cycle, any abrupt change
  • personal or family history of hirsutism
  • hot flushes
  • galactorrhoea
  • headaches
  • visual symptoms (1)
  • drug usage - especially, combined oral contraceptive pill, phenothiazines, metoclopramide, alpha-methyldopa, tricyclic antidepressants, Rauwolfia alkaloids
  • psychological factors - recent emotional upset, new job, regularity of work hours
  • recent weight change - up or down; exercise history
  • presence of normal sense of smell
  • symptoms of thyroid, adrenal, and pituitary disorders
  • diabetes and it's control
  • gynaecological operations
  • menarche and menstrual history of mother and sisters
  • genetic defects in family members
  • previous CNS chemotherapy or radiation; pelvic radiation (2)

Examination:

  • secondary sexual characteristics - breasts, pubic hair
    • Tanner assessment of pubertal development may be used as a guide (2)
  • height and weight - expressed as percentage of ideal; BMI (2)
  • features of gonadal dysgenesis e.g. webbed neck of Turner's syndrome
  • hirsutism
  • evidence of thyroid, adrenal, pituitary disease
  • breast examination - breast development indicates that some oestrogenic activity has occurred; galactorrhoea may suggest hyperprolactinaemia, breast feeding, neuroleptics
  • abdominal and pelvic examination: - external genitalia - clitoromegaly - presence of uterus - palpable ovaries - pelvic masses or tenderness
    • a bimanual examination is inappropriate in young girls who are not sexually active (1)
  • features of androgen insensitivity syndrome - undescended testes; external genital appearance; pubic hair (2)

Reference:


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The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

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