Gynae 1 Flashcards
What is premenstrual syndrome (PMS)?
- Distressing psychological, physical and/or behavioural symptoms
- Occurs during luteal phase with significant regression of symptoms with onset / during period
- (if had hysterectomy with ovarian conservation = occurs cyclically)
How many people suffer from PMS?
15% asymptomatic
80% mild-moderate
5% severe
What is the aetiology of PMS?
Multiple
- Cyclical ovarian likely to be the cause, thought that an ovarian trigger like ovulation can trigger a cascade of events
- A central increased responsiveness to a combination of steroids, chemical messengers (such as E2, serotonin, progesterone, GABA) and psychological sensitivity may play a part
What are the signs/symptoms of severe PMS (DSM IV criteria)?
Equal to/>5 symptoms present for most of late luteal phase with remission within a few days onset of menses and absence of symptoms in the week post menses (must be at least 1 from first 4):
- Markedly depressed mood, feelings of hopelessness or self-deprecation
- Marked anxiety / tension
- Marked affective lability (feeling suddenly sad or tearful)
- Persistent and marked anger / irritability
- Decreased interest in usual activities
- Subjective sense of difficulty in concentrating
- Lethargy
- Marked change in appetite, overeating or specific food cravings
- Hypersomnia or insomnia
- Subjective sense of being overwhelmed or out of control.
- Other physical symptoms (breast tenderness or swelling, headaches, joint or muscle pain, bloating, weight gain)
What investigations are done for PMS?
Mostly self-diagnosed
NB important to exclude organic disease or significant psychiatric illness
Ddx of PMS? (2)
- Depression
- Neurosis
What are some hormonal managements of PMS?
- Progesterone and progestrogens
- Ovulation suppression agents:
COCP
Danazol
Oestrogen
GnRH analogues +/- addback HRT
NB addback HRT can alleviate undesirable hypo-oestrogenic effects such as bone demineralisation (ask ? )
What are some non-hormonal managements of PMS?
- SSRIs / selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors
- Antidepressants = tricyclics and anxiolytics
- CBT
What are some self-help techniques for PMS?
- Diet alterations ie less fat/sugar
- Dietary supplements = Vit B6, Vit E, calcium, magnesium
- Exercise
- Stress reduction
What is PCOS?
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Polycystic ovary = a characteristic transvaginal US appearance of multiple (12 or more) small follicles (2-8mm) in an enlarged ovary (>10mL volume)
Women with PCO may develop other features of the full syndrome if they put on weight
What is the criteria used for diagnosing PCOS?
The Rotterdam criteria
What are the features of the Rotterdam criteria?
2 / 3 of:
1) Irregular or absent periods (>35 days apart)
2) Clinical/biochemical features of hyperandrogegism:
- Acne
- Hirsutism
- Alopecia
- Raised serum testosterone
3) Polycystic ovaries on USS
What is the pathogenesis of PCOS?
Not fully understood but likely to be multifactorial:
- Excess androgens produced by theca cells of ovaries (either due to hyperinsulinaemia or increased LH levels)
- Insulin resistance leading to hyperinsulinaemia in many women = weight gain further increases insulin resistance
- Insulin resistance leads to:
1) increased androgen production (multiple mechanisms)
2) Reduced production of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) in liver meaning free testosterone may be raised as testosterone binds SHBG (even if total testosterone normal) - Raised LH from anterior pituitary (in 40% women)
- Raised oestrogen levels in some women can lead to to hyper plastic endometrium
How common is PCOS?
Most common endocrine disorder in women:
6-10% prevalence of women at childbearing age
Responsible for 80% of anovulatory subfertility
USS evidence of PCO in 20-30% women
What are some risk factors for PCOS? (2)
- FH (familial clustering)
- Obesity:
1) BMI >30 is found in 35-60% of women with PCOS
2) Central obesity
= This worsens insulin resistance
What are some signs/symptoms of PCOS? (9)
- May be asymptomatic
- Signs of hyperaldosteronism = acne, hirsutism, alopecia
- Obesity
- Oligomenorrhoea (<9 periods per year) or amenorrhoea (due to chronic an ovulation)
- Sub/infertility (75%)
- Recurrent miscarriage (50-60%)
- Ancanthosis nigricans (sign of insulin resistance)
- Psychological symptoms eg mood swings
- Occasionally signs of severe hyperandrogegism eg clitoromegaly, deep voice
What are some long term health consequences of PCOS? (4)
- Obesity, insulin resistance and metabolic abnormalities (such as dyslipidaemia) are RF for IHD
- DM2 is more common in women with PCOS
- Increased risk of GDM
- Long periods of secondary amenorrhoea is a RF for endometrial hyperplasia and carcinoma
What investigations are done for PCOS? (4)
1) Transvaginal / pelvuic USS
2) Bloods: FSH - Raised in ovarian failure - Low in hypothalamic disease - Normal in PCOS
LH
- Often raised in PCOS but not diagnostic
TFTs
Prolactin
- To exclude a prolactinoma
Testosterone - if high:
- Dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS)
- Androstenedione
- Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG)
3) Screen for DM and abnormal lipids
4) BMI
List some ddx for PCOS (4)
1) Ovarian failure
2) Hypothalamic disease
3) Prolactinoma
4) Secondary cause of amenorrhoea
What is the management of PCOS? (6)
Lifestyle
- Weight loss / diet / exercise
Improve menstural regulatory:
- Weight loss
- COCP
- Metformin
Control symptoms of hyperandrogegism:
- Hair removal
- Anti-androgens eg eflornithine face cream, finasteride, spironolactone = can be taken with acne/hirsiutism, takes 6-9 months to improve hair growth (NB avoid in pregnancy as feminises a male fetus)
Sub-fertility
- Weight loss alone may achieve spontaneous ovulation
- Ovulation induction with anti-oestrogens (clomifene) or gonadotrophin
- Laparoscopic ovarian diathermy
- IVF if ovulation cannot be achieved (risk of ovarian hyper stimulation)
Insulin sensitisers:
- Metformin = helps to regulate menstrual cycle and achieve ovulation (off licence for PCOS, no better than lifestyle modifications = doesn’t effect androgenic symptoms despite lowering androgen levels)
Psychological support
What is the average age of menopause?
52 years
What is menopause?
The permanent cessation of menstruation resulting in the loss of ovarian follicular activity
Natural menopause = 12 months of consecutive amenorrhoea for which no other pathological / physiological cause is present
What is perimenopause?
= Menopause transition. Begins several years before menopause, gradual time in which the ovaries make less oestrogen. There are clinical, biological and endocrinological features of approaching menopause eg vasomotor symptoms and menstrual irregularity, and ends with menopause (12 months after last menstrual period)
What is premenopause?
Either 1-2 years immediately before menopause or the whole of the reproductive period before menopause
What is postmenopause?
From final menstrual period (regardless of whether the menopause was induced or spontaneous)
What is climacteric?
The phase encompassing the transition from reproductive state to the non-reproductive state
ie menopause is a specific event occurring during the climacteric, just as menarche is an event that occurs during puberty
What is the physiology of menopause?
Cessation of the menstrual cycle due to ovarian failure leading to oestrogen deficiency
What are some short-term signs/symptoms of menopause? (3)
Vasomotor symptoms:
- Hot flushes
- Night sweats
Sexual dysfunction:
- Changes in sexual behaviour and activity
- Vaginal dryness (due to decreased oestrogen = can cause dyspareunia)
- Low libido / problems with orgasm
Psychological symptoms:
- Depressed mood
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Mood swings
- Lethargy
Sleep disturbance
What are some long-term signs/symptoms of menopause? (4)
- Osteoporisis = inc risk of fracture (esp Colles’, hip, vertebrae)
- CV disease eg MI/stroke
- Urogenital tract atrophy = freq, urgency, nocturne, incontinence, recurrent infection
- Vaginal atrophy = dyspareunia, itching, burning, dryness
What investigations are done for menopause? (4)
- FSH level only helpful if diagnosis is in doubt (eg <40yr) and levels in menopausal range (raised FSH is not diagnostic for menopause but a high level indicates a lack of ovarian response)
- TFTs (T4 and TSH) to differentiate thyroid disease
- Blood glucose as diabetes can cause similar symptoms
- Check bone mineral density = significant RF for osteoporosis
UNHELPFUL TESTS = LH, estradiol, progesterone
What is the management of menopause?
Healthy lifestyle
HRT
- Mainly helps with vasomotor symptoms, mood swings and vaginal/bladder symptoms
- Usually improved within 4 weeks
- Topical HRT can be useful for atrophic vaginitis
- Prevents and reverses bone loss
- Can help alleviate low mood (as can CBT - but no evidence that antidepressants help menopausal low mood)
Not many alternatives to HRT (eg if CI due to hormone-dependant tumours)
What is defined as premature menopause?
How common is it?
Menopause <40 year
20% of women
What are some causes of premature menopause?
Often no cause found
Primary causes:
- Chromosome abnormalities
- FSH receptor gene polymorphism and inhibit B mutation
- Enzyme deficiencies
- AI disease
Secondary causes:
- Chemo / radiotherapy
- Bilateral oophorectomy or surgical menopause
- Hysterectomy without oopherectomy
- Infection
What is are some signs/symptoms of premature menopause?
Most commonly amenorrhoea or oligomenorrhoea (+/- hot flushes)
Coexisting disease may be detected eg hypothyroidism, Addison’s disease, DM, chromosomal abnormalities