Middle-aged women with Turner's syndrome. Medical status, hormonal treatment and social life

Abstract

A study of 49 middle-aged (greater than 35 years old) women with Turner's syndrome was performed to evaluate medical status, hormonal treatment and social life. Most of the women lived a normal social life in stable relationships and all were employed. Some had adopted children and 4 had children of their own. They had all been informed about Turner's syndrome at time of diagnosis, but after the induced puberty they did not know who to turn to with their variety of medical problems. They were healthy except for reduced hearing, which in many cases required hearing aid. Elevated liver enzymes were found in almost all the women. The mechanism behind this finding is unclear, but it does not seem to imply severe liver damage why the indicated estrogen therapy should not be withdrawn from these women. Today amniocentesis and chorionic villus biopsies are commonly used to detect chromosome abnormalities. It is our duty as counsellors to give adequate information on the prognosis of a specific finding in the fetus to help future parents in their decision.