[Correlations between trophism of the external genitalia and hormone levels during menopausal age].

Abstract

In a case group of 341 perimenopausal women the following signs of reduced trophism of external genitalia have been studied: mons pubis hair rarefaction, pale mucosae, labia minora edge thinning, and labia minora involution, as well as their correlation with age, time lapse after the menopause, and plasma FSH, LH, progesterone and 17-beta-estradiol. Signs of reduced trophism appear to be present even in the younger considered ages, but a positive trend with age is shown. The passage from less than one year inveral from the menopause to one to three years interval shows the most marked increase in the appearance of involutional aspects, but at six years from the menopause one fourth of the women still show normal trophism of the external genitalia. An inverse relation with 17-beta-estradiol levels is shown for pale mucosae and labia minora edge thinning while the trend of mons pubis hair rarefaction shows no relation with the hormone level. An inverse relation is shown for progesterone levels and the trend of mons pubis hair rarefaction, while for the other signs of reduced trophism the same kind of relation as for 17-beta-estradiol was shown. FSH and LH levels show an inverse relation with "normal" trophism, a direct relation with pale mucosae and labia minora involution, and no relation with mons pubis hair rarefaction and labia minora edge thinning.