Description
DUTCH Cycle MappingTM maps the progesterone and estrogen pattern throughout the menstrual cycle. It provides the full picture of a woman’s cycle to answer important questions for patients with month-specific symptoms, infertility and PCOS.
Nine targeted estrogen and progesterone measurements are taken throughout the cycle to characterise the follicular, ovulatory and luteal phases.
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.
Methodology
Estrogen and progesterone metabolites (?-pregnanediol and ?-pregnanediol) for this profile are all tested (9x) by GC-MS/MS. This is the most accurate method for testing urinary reproductive hormones and their metabolites compared to immunoassays or LC-MS/MS.
When should I use
DUTCH Cycle Mapping is useful in many scenarios, including:
• Women struggling with infertility
• Women with cycling hormones and no menses
• Partial hysterectomy (ovaries intact but no uterus)
• Ablations
• Women with irregular cycles
• PCOS
• If the luteal phase shifts from month-to-month
• When timing of testing is difficult due to long or short cycles
• Women whose hormonal symptoms tend to fluctuate throughout the cycle
PMS, mid-cycle spotting, migraines, etc.
This test is not suitable for:
• Postmenopausal women
• Women on birth control
For postmenopausal women, women with cycles that follow the expected pattern or without cycle specific symptoms DUTCH Complete or Plus is sufficient
Other Details
Please note, DUTCH Cycle Mapping can be combined with DUTCH Complete (code HOR34) or with DUTCH Plus (code HOR46) to give a more comprehensive understanding of the hormonal and adrenal picture. DUTCH Cycle Mapping is also available with Adrenal (code HOR36).
