Estradiol (E2)

Why this test?

• Determination of the level of estradiol is used to evaluate the function of the ovaries.
• For the diagnosis of early (premature) puberty in girls and gynecomastia in men.
• To identify the causes of amenorrhea (for example, to determine whether it is caused by pregnancy or disease).
• To control the development of the follicle in the ovary in the days preceding in vitro fertilization (in assisted reproductive technologies)

In what cases is it prescribed?

• For women with pelvic pain, abnormal vaginal bleeding, menstrual cycle disorders, infertility, as well as when the development of the genitals occurs earlier or later than it should.
• With symptoms of menopause: hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia and/or amenorrhea.
• If a woman has problems with conception (to control the degree of growth of this or that follicle and subsequent in vitro fertilization).
• For symptoms of feminization in men, such as gynecomastia, which may be caused by an estrogen-secreting tumor.

Test information

Estradiol belongs to the group of estrogenic steroid hormones and is one of the most common and active of them. It plays an important role in the regulation of the menstrual cycle and the functioning of the female reproductive system.

Estradiol is responsible for the development of female genital organs and secondary sexual characteristics and affects the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. It is considered the main sex hormone in women and is present in small amounts in men. It is one of the main estrogens in non-pregnant women. It is produced mainly in the ovaries, and additionally in the adrenal glands in women and in the testicles and adrenal glands of men. During the menstrual cycle, the level of estradiol changes throughout the month, rising and falling in concert with the stimulation of follicles in the ovaries by follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and progesterone, during the release of an egg and the readiness of the uterus for a potential pregnancy.

The level of estradiol is lowest at the beginning of the menstrual cycle, and its rise to the highest level just coincides with the release of the egg from the ovary (ovulation). A normal level of estradiol allows for proper ovulation, egg fertilization and pregnancy, as well as healthy bone structure and normal cholesterol content.