21 years
Hello I am a 21 year old female with PCOS and FMF, will that by any chance affect my fertility? How could I know ?
Dec 7, 2014
Regarding PCOS (PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome) and fertility, it is well known that most cases of infertility associated with this condition are due to anovulatory menstrual cycles, that is, when you get your period but your ovaries do not produce ovules and only the inner layers of the uterus (endometrial mucosa) is shed along with blood.
Concerning FMF (Familial Mediterranean Fever), there is no longer much concern about female fertility issues ever since the introduction of colchicine as treatment; in the past, females with FMF used to get abdominal organ adhesions (whereby organs sort of stick together) as a result of the inflammatory process that accompanies FMF attacks. Another FMF complication that may alter female fertility is amyloidosis, which results from accumulation of inappropriately folded proteins known as amyloids; proteins that are normally soluble, able to dissolve in water, fold to become amyloids, they become insoluble and deposit in organs or tissues, disrupting normal function. Fortunately, colchicine has counteracted these effects.
There is a number of hormones that are measured in the blood to assess fertility, mainly LH and FSH (Lutenizing Hormone and Follicular Stimulating Hormone) which are secreted by a small gland in the brain (the pituitary gland) to stimulate the ovaries to produce ovules and regulate the menstrual cycle, in addition to estrogen, progesterone, and DHEAS (Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, a metabolite of testosterone). An ultrasound of the ovaries and uterus may also be required, depending on the case.
Concerning FMF (Familial Mediterranean Fever), there is no longer much concern about female fertility issues ever since the introduction of colchicine as treatment; in the past, females with FMF used to get abdominal organ adhesions (whereby organs sort of stick together) as a result of the inflammatory process that accompanies FMF attacks. Another FMF complication that may alter female fertility is amyloidosis, which results from accumulation of inappropriately folded proteins known as amyloids; proteins that are normally soluble, able to dissolve in water, fold to become amyloids, they become insoluble and deposit in organs or tissues, disrupting normal function. Fortunately, colchicine has counteracted these effects.
There is a number of hormones that are measured in the blood to assess fertility, mainly LH and FSH (Lutenizing Hormone and Follicular Stimulating Hormone) which are secreted by a small gland in the brain (the pituitary gland) to stimulate the ovaries to produce ovules and regulate the menstrual cycle, in addition to estrogen, progesterone, and DHEAS (Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, a metabolite of testosterone). An ultrasound of the ovaries and uterus may also be required, depending on the case.
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