[Serum luteinizing hormone (LH) level during menstrual cycle in women treated for epilepsy]

In 22 women aged 18 to years treated for epilepsy with phenytoin (DPH) and phenobarbital (PB) the serum levels of LH were determined by radioimmunoassay on 8 days of various phases of the menstrual cycle. In 10 cases the attacks were related in time to the premenstrual phase of the cycle (group A), in 12 cases no such correlation was observed (group B). These results were compared with the results of similar investigations carried out in 8 women treated in hospital for ischalgia who received also DPH and PB or only PB (group C). A statistically significantly lower level of LH was found in group A in relation to groups B and C on the 13th and 22nd days of the cycle. Decreased LH level on the 22nd day may suggest that in women with attacks related to a phase of the menstrual cycle the corpus luteum may be failing with resulting deficiency of progesterone, which may be one of the factors increasing the readiness to attacks in the premenstrual phase. It may be supposed that DPH and PB given to patients with epilepsy may reduce the serum LH level.