Skeletal maturation and hormonal levels after the menarche.

Skeletal maturity was studied in 82 healthy adolescent girls age between 12 and 19 who had reached the menarche from 0.5 to 5 years previously. 56 subjects (68.2%) had closed epiphyses while they were open in 26 (31.8%). The incidence of open epiphyses was 61% in the first year after the menarche and progressively decreased showing negative correlation with time elapsed since the menarche (r = 0.98, P < 0.0001). The mean +/- SE height increased from 158.7 +/- 1.3 cm in the first year after the menarche, to 162.7 +/- 1.3 cm in the fifth year after the menarche. No significant differences were seen in estradiol, estrone, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and androstenedione levels between subjects with open or closed epiphyses while dehydroepiandrosterone and its sulfate levels were higher in the closed epiphyses group. Girls with open epiphyses at first evaluation grew about 3.5 cm in the next three years.

Uterine development and endocrine relationships after menarche.

Uterine volume and ovarian/uterine ratio during the first 6 postmenarchal years in 143 women were compared with an adult control group. Plasma gonadotropins and sex steroids were also correlated with uterine volume in adolescents. Uterine volume increased progressively and correlated positively with advancing postmenarchal (r = 0.24; p less than 0.05) and chronologic (r = 0.23; p less than 0.05) age. However, normal adult uterine volume was not yet reached by the highest postmenarchal (6 years) and chronologic (18 years) age. The ovarian/uterine ratio decreased gradually with increasing postmenarchal age but was always higher (0.22) than that of control subjects (0.12). Uterine volume correlated positively with plasma estradiol (r = 0.25; p less than 0.05) and dehydroepiandrosterone (r = 0.22; p less than 0.05) and its sulfate (r = 0.22; p less than 0.05) levels. This study indicates that the uterus continues to grow after menarche in conjunction with increasing hormone levels.