Patient's question:
Age: 23Description of problem: For several years, I have experienced bleeding outside of my menstrual period. Sometimes it is dark brown. Is this a symptom of luteal insufficiency? I would like to ask about the detailed symptoms, causes, or etiology of luteal insufficiency, as well as its impact. Is it highly likely to cause infertility? Does it have anything to do with breast health?
Doctor's answer:
Luteal atrophy is a type of ovulatory dysfunctional uterine bleeding. The main symptoms are continuous bleeding during menstruation, prolonged duration, and generally normal cycles. The primary issue is insufficient luteal function, specifically an inadequate amount of progesterone to maintain the second half of the menstrual cycle. It can affect pregnancy, primarily because the fertilized egg needs sufficient luteal progesterone to firmly implant in the endometrium after ovulation. It mainly affects the stability of implantation, making early bleeding and miscarriage more likely. Regarding the non-menstrual bleeding you mentioned, it's unclear which period it occurs in. If it matches the description above, you should start using progesterone injections (10-20mg) once daily, beginning 8-12 days before your period. It's not significantly related to breast health.