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In this day of great interest in in-vitro fertilization and tubal microsurgery for women who have no other options to conceive, it is important to keep in mind those occasional patients who, although they appear to be menopausal, retain the capacity to conceive. Patients with the gonadotropin-resistant ovary syndrome represent a fascinating subset of women in the spectrum of those who develop premature ovarian failure because these women have ovaries which still contain oocytes.

Numerous hypothalamo -pituitary abnormalities have been described in anorexia nervosa (for review see 1 and 2).

The history of medicine traditionally concentrates on the achievements of its distinguished practitioners. Often it traces the progress of medical concepts in the changing contexts of prevailing ideas. Alternatively it recounts the development of diagnostic or therapeutic methods and operative procedures. There are, however, only few histories of behavioral disorders. There is no clear model to follow.

Disorders of ovulation are present in 15 to 25% of couples with infertility. The vast majority of these disorders have their origin in the hypothalamus or pituitary. In many of these women, the disorder of ovulation is obvious as there is a complete lack of menstruation (primary or secondary amenorrhea); however, in others menstruation may be occurring irregularly (oligomenorrhea with cycles every 6 weeks to 6 months) or even regularly every 28 days, yet a disorder of ovulation is present. As women with cycles of longer than 6 weeks have a reduced number of ovulations per year (if they are ovulating at all), they are usually investigated and treated along the same lines as those with a complete lack of periods.