Indications:
Women struggling with infertility
Women with cycling hormones and no menses:
Partial hysterectomy (ovaries intact but no uterus)
Ablations
Mirena IUD (no actual menstrual bleeding due to IUD but still has hormonal symptoms)
Women with irregular cycles:
PCOS
If the luteal phase shifts from month-to-month
Not sure when to test due to long or short cycles
Women whose hormonal symptoms tend to fluctuate throughout the cycle:
PMS, mid-cycle spotting, migraines, etc.
Hormonal Birth Control:
Refrain from starting the cycle map collection until the patient has been off their birth control for at least three months
Overview
For some women, testing reproductive hormones (progesterone, estrogen, etc.) on a single day is sufficient. In other scenarios, the clinical picture cannot be properly captured without “mapping” out the hormonal pattern throughout their menstrual cycle. The expected pattern of hormones shows relatively low estrogen levels early in the cycle, a surge around ovulation and modest levels in the latter third of the cycle (the luteal phase). Progesterone levels, on the other hand, stay relatively low until after ovulation. After ovulation levels ideally increase (>10-fold) and then drop back down at the end of the cycle. A disruption in this cycle can lead to infertility or hormonal imbalance.
This test does not require a 24-hour urine collection, making it more practical and convenient for patients to take. In addition to their inconvenience, 24 -Hour urine collections are often collected incorrectly or incompletely, and the volume must be accurately measured by patients. Instead, results are reported per mg of creatinine with adjustments made for sex, age, height, and weight, which gives a very strong correlation to 24-hour values.
Please note:
The general recommendation is for patients to refrain from starting the cycle map collection until they have been off their birth control for at least three months
Practical
Sample required:
Dried urine
Average processing time:
Maximum of 21 days