OLIGOMENORRHEA

also spelled Oligomenorrhoea, prolonged intervals between menstrual cycles. Menstruation is the normal cyclic bleeding from the female reproductive tract. Most women menstruate every 25 to 30 days if they are not pregnant, nursing a child, or experiencing reproductive disorders. In oligomenorrhea, menstruation may occur only three or four times yearly. The cause of the disorder may be psychological, hormonal, or structural in nature. If there is no acute illness or disease involved, the irregularity becomes important only because it interferes with conception. Absence of menstruation may be a symptom of some other disorder. See also amenorrhea.