progesterone challenge test

Indications

evaluation of amenorrhea

Procedure

testing:

• 10 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate (Provera) PO QD for 5 days
• After stopping Provera, the patient will either bleed vaginally or not within 2-7 days

Interpretation

• bleeding confirms that there is adequate endogenous estrogen & that amenorrhea is caused by anovulation
• if bleeding occurs & serum prolactin is normal & there is no galactorrhea, then no further evaluation is needed
• if there is no withdrawal bleeding, an estrogen/progestin cycle test is indicated to evaluate end-organ function
  • consider hypothalamic amenorrhea
  • consider polycystic ovary syndrome

More general terms

• provocative clinical test
• special chemistry test

Additional terms

• estrogen/progestin cycle test