No periods at 15 led doctors to a brain tumor
Original title: Primary Amenorrhea Revealing Adamantinomatous Craniopharyngioma Associated With Central Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism in an Adolescent Girl: A Case Report.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
This is a report on one patient, not a test of a new treatment.
The short version
A teen's missing periods were the first sign of a brain tumor.
What was studied. This is a report about one patient, a 15-year-old girl. She had never had a period and her puberty was late. She had no headaches, no vision problems, and no other nerve problems.
What they found. Hormone tests showed her brain was not sending the right signals for puberty. A brain MRI scan found a lump near the pituitary gland, mostly filled with fluid. It measured about 2.1 cm x 2.2 cm x 2.3 cm and had a small solid part. The lump pressed on the spot where the nerves for vision cross.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: No periods or late puberty in a teen can sometimes be the first sign of a tumor near the pituitary gland. The doctors say hormone tests, then a brain scan, can find it. Finding it early may help protect vision and other body functions.
What it doesn't mean: This is one patient's story, not a study of a treatment. It does not test a new drug or a new therapy, and it is not a cure. One case cannot tell us what will happen to other people. Most teens with late periods do not have a brain tumor.
Source: PubMed, September 15, 2026 · Read the original
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