ABSTRACT
A comprehensive review of the early endocrine studies of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) was performed by Reid and Yen1 and, as described elsewhere,2 most of these studies suffered from methodologic flaws, including the use of inadequate diagnostic criteria. PMS is a time-oriented not a symptom-oriented diagnosis and requires prospective demonstration that symptom appearance is confined primarily to the luteal phase of the woman’s menstrual cycle. Since 1983, the use of two sets of diagnostic guidelines – Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSMIV),3 and National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Premenstrual Syndrome Workshop Guidelines, unpublished work4 – has permitted greater homogeneity of samples across studies, a requirement for comparison, and generalization of results obtained. Data subsequently generated provide little if any evidence for a role of hormone excess or deficiency in the etiology of PMS.
