Carotenoderma in a young woman of normal body mass index with hypothalamic amenorrhoea: a 2-year follow-up case report

Hypothalamic amenorrhoea has been shown to be associated with hypercarotenaemia, but no causal link has been established. Many people are unaware of the health implications of carotenoderma. We report on a 36-year-old woman with normal body mass index and with a history of secondary amenorrhoea for...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of clinical nutrition 2014-12, Vol.68 (12), p.1362-1364
Main Authors: NYEKIOVA, M, GHADERI, S, HAN, T. S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Amenorrhea
Amenorrhea - complications
Amenorrhea - etiology
Biological and medical sciences
Body mass
Body mass index
Body size
Carotenoids - adverse effects
Case reports
Case studies
Complications
Complications and side effects
Diagnosis
Diet
Exercise
Feeding. Feeding behavior
Female
Female genital diseases
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics
Health care
Humans
Hypogonadism
Hypogonadism - complications
Hypogonadism - etiology
Hypothalamus
Life Style
Lifestyles
Medical disorders
Medical sciences
Menstruation
Metabolic diseases
Non tumoral diseases
Pigmentation disorders
Primary care
Psychological stress
Risk factors
Skin
Skin Diseases - complications
Skin Diseases - etiology
Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems
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Summary:Hypothalamic amenorrhoea has been shown to be associated with hypercarotenaemia, but no causal link has been established. Many people are unaware of the health implications of carotenoderma. We report on a 36-year-old woman with normal body mass index and with a history of secondary amenorrhoea for 2 years and carotenoderma for 5 years. She had a history of practising a fixed-menu diet of predominantly leafy greens, exercised intensively and had a stressful job. Blood tests confirmed the presence of hypercarotenaemia and hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. Carotenoderma subsided after 6 months of lifestyle modification, but she remained amenorrhoeic up to 12 months later. Since then, her condition had relapsed up to the time of 2 years of follow-up. We conclude that hypercarotenaemia/carotenoderma and hypothalamic amenorrhoea are manifestations of a constrained lifestyle rather than causally linked. The presence of carotenoderma should alert public individuals and clinicians, especially in primary care, alike for signs of potential health complications including reproductive dysfunction even without weight problems.
ISSN:0954-3007
1476-5640
DOI:10.1038/ejcn.2014.128