HABITUAL ABORTION - ENDOCRINOLOGIC ASPECTS

Endocrine disorders are among the potential causes of repeated spontan eous abortion although their role is uncertain. Those disorders most f requently associated with repeated spontaneous abortion are corpus lut eum insufficiency, polycystic ovary syndrome, diabetes mellitus, and h ypo- and hyperthyroidism. The best method of diagnosing corpus luteum insufficiency has not yet been established. It seems that treatment fo r this condition cannot be based on simple supplementation with proges terone, but ovulation induction preceded by pituitary suppression and human chorionic gonadotropin administration might be more successful. There is increasing evidence that polycystic ovary syndrome is a cause of repeated spontaneous abortion, but possibly only in the presence o f oligomenorrhea and luteinizing hormone hypersecretion. Diabetes, if well controlled by treatment, and thyroid dysfunction, probably play a minor role.