Gynae Flashcards
What hormone do the thecal cells produce and what is their action?
LH: produce testosterone and progesterone
What hormone do the granulosa cells produce and what is their action?
FSH: converts testosterone to oestrogen
What is the average menstrual cycle length?
23-35 days
What hormonal axis is involved in menstruation?
HPA axis: intiially GnRH stimulates FSH and LH release which stimulates growth of follicles and Graffian follicle secretes oestrogen.
What hormone surges in ovulation?
LH
What drug can you give to postpone menstruation (what can they do if they are on the COCP?)
Norethisterone 3 days before period due
Run COCP packs together
What are the two main causes of menorrhagia?
Fibroids (may feel a mass on examination)
Polyps
How would you investigate menorrhagia?
Bloods- FBC, U&E, coag, TFTs
TVUS if mass
May need endometrial biopsy
What are the treatment options for menorrhagia?
- IUS- Mirena coil
- Anti-fibrinolytics: Transexamic acid, NSAIDs eg. mefanamic acid, COCP
- Progesterones
- Surgical- ablation of endometrium
A 16 year old comes in complaining of dysmenorrhea. When you ask more questions you find out the pain comes on at the start of menstruation and it is a crampy pain in the abdo moving to back and groin. She also feels quite nauseas with it. Is this primary or secondary dysmenorrhea and what is the treatment?
Primary= pain at start of menstruation
Treatment: NSAIDs eg. mefanamic acid, COCP, local application of heat
Secondary= pain preceeding menstruation and relieved by onset of menstruation
What may cause secondary dysmenorrhea?
Fibroids
PID
Endometriosis
Adenomyosis
What are some causes of irregular/inter-menstrual bleeding?
Anovulatory cycles eg. near puberty/later years
Fibroids
PID
Polyps
Ovarian cysts
Spotting on contraception
Cancer- ovarian, endometrial (PMB), cervical
How would you investigate irregular/intermenstrual bleeding?
Bloods- FBC, U&E, clotting, TFTs
FSH, LH if suspect menopause
Ultrasound of uterus!
Biopsy- if >40, medical tx failed
What is the first and second line treatment in irregular/intermenstrual bleeding?
- IUS or COCP
2. progestogens
What are the age cut offs for primary amenorrhea?
Failure to start menstruating by 16 or by 14 if there are no secondary sexual characteristics eg. breast development
What are some causes of amenorrhea (both primary and secondary)? split it up into non-pathological and pathological (split into HPA axis, Pituitary/thyroid and ovarian)
Non-pathological:
- Primary: Consituttional delay, drugs eg. progestogens, GnRH analogues
- Secondary: pregnancy, menopause, drugs- antipsychotics
Pathological:
- HPA axis: anorexia nervosa, stress/excessive exercise, Kallman’s syndrome- hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (all hormones low + no sense of smell)
- Pituitary/thyroid: hyperprolactinaemia (antipsychotics, prolactinoma (pit adenoma), hypothyroidism, Sheehan’s syndrome
- Ovary: primary ovarian failure (genetic cx: Turner’s syndrome), PCOS
Androgen insensitivity syndrome
A girl presents with amenorrhea but has normal secondary sexual characteristics. She has cyclical abdominal pain. What is the likely cause?
Imperforate hymen
A woman approx aged 25 years old presents with secondary amenorrhea. She used to have normal periods but now has stopped bleeding. PMH: she has had 3 abortions treated with surgical evacuation. What is the likely cause?
Asherman’s syndrome- scar tissue forms in canal due to excessive curettage in evacuation of retained productions.
What investigations would you do in a patient with amenorrhea? Think about causes
Bedside: pregnancy test
Bloods: serum androgens (raised in PCOS), LH and FSH (FSH= low in hypothalamic causes, normal in PCOS, raised in ovarian failure), prolactin (twice), TFTs, serum testosterone
Imaging: pelvic US if suspect PCOS
How do you treat HPA causes of amenorrhea? eg. excessive exercise, stress, anorexia
Normalise weight, GnRH pump
How do you treat prolactinoma - cause of amenorrhea?
Bromocriptine/ cabergoline
How do you treat primary ovarian failure as cause of amenorrhea?
No cure- hormone replacement
What is the definition of premature menopause?
Menopause before the age of 40
A 43 year old lady comes into your clinic because she has noticed her periods are not coming anymore. She also describes hot flushes and sweats every so often along with painful sex with her husband. She has also noticed some urinary symptoms , she is having to go much more often but there is no burning or stinging. What is the diagnosis and what treatment options may you offer her?
Menopause Treatment: Vaginal dryness: oestrogen cream SSRIs eg. fluoxetine for the vasomotor symptoms HRT
What test can tell you the ovarian reserve in a patient ?
Anti-mullerian hormone
What are the two options of HRT?
HRT: oestrogen + progesterone (if they haven’t had a hysterectomy- add progesterone to reduce risk of endometrial cancer)
Cyclical : perimenopausal. take each one on diff days
Continuous combined HRT: menopausal. take both daily. don’t get a withdrawal bleed
The lady you started on HRT calls you to ask if she still needs to use contraception, what do you tell her?
Yes- they are still fertile for 2 years
What does the broad ligament of the uterus contain?
Fallopian tubes Ovary Ovarian artery Uterine artery Round ligament of the uterus Suspensory ligament Ovarian ligament
What is a fibroid/leiomyomata
Benign tumour of the myometrium
What happens to fibroids in pregnancy and what may have to be done to deliver baby?
They grow. If they grow and obstruct- C-section to deliver baby
Where can fibroids be located (3 places)? Which ones are likely to pedunculate and tort?
Subserosal- into the peritoneal cavity
Inter-mural
Submucosal - into uterine cavity
Subserosal and submucosal are likely to pedunculate–> torsion
A woman with known fibroids comes into A&E feeling very unwell. She is in severe abdominal pain, has a high fever and is feeling very nauseas. This started about an hour ago and has been getting worse. What do you need to worry about?
Red degeneration of fibroid- vomiting, abdominal pain needing morphine and fever
What would you do to investigate a lady with a fibroid?
Bedside: pelvic examination- palpable mass ‘knobbly’
Bloods: FBC, clotting, U&Es
Imaging: TVUS, may need MRI pelvis.
Special tests: hysteroscopy with biopsy.
What are the options to treat a fibroid <3cm with heavy bleeding?
- IUS
NSAIDs, trasexamic acid, GnRH agonists (temp, can shrink before surgery) or mifeprstone- anti progesterone
What are the options to treat a >3cm fibroid with heavy bleeding?
- Ulipristal acetate- shrinks fibroids and causes amenorrhea
Surgical- myomectomy (fertility desired), uterine artery embolisation or hysterectomy (fertility not desired)
What is adenomyosis?
Invasion of myometrium by endometrium- it breaks through
What symptoms/signs might be present in a patient with adenomyosis?
Dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia
Enlarged ‘boggy’ tender uterus - feel on examination
How would you investigate and treat someone with adenomyosis?
MRI pelvis
IUS, COCP
Hysterectomy- definitive
What is endometriosis?
Presence and growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterus in sites like ovaries, uterosacral ligaments, vagina which can lead to fibrosis and adhesions.
What is a chocolate cyst in context of endometriosis?
Blood can accumulate in the ovaries causing an ovarian cyst in patients with endometriosis which can rupture and cause acute severe pain.
What symptoms may a person with endometriosis present with?
Pelvic pain Dysmenorrhea Dyspareunia Dysuria Subfertility
What might the uterus look like if a patient with endometriosis had adhesions?
Fixed retroverted uterus
What is the gold standard investigation for a patient with endometriosis? What investigation might you do first?
Laparoscopy and biopsy
TVUS
What are the treatment options for a patient with endometriosis and what is the problem with all these treatments?
Options: NSAIDs COCP IUS Progestogens orally/IM eg. dEpo GnRH analogues eg. goserilin
Problem with all these: fertility- these are all contraceptives
Fertility problems: IVF
What symptoms may a person with polyps present?
PV bleeding- menorrhagia, inter-menstrual bleeding
infertility
What are some risk factors for polyps?
Obesity, HTN, HRT, tamoxifen (breast cancer)
How do you treat polyps?
Curretage via hysteroscopy
A post-menopausal lady has presented with vaginal bleeding. She has a PMH of T2DM and HTN and is slightly obese. The vaginal bleeding started 2 weeks ago and has not settled since so she has come seen you. Do you investigate her?
YES - post-menopausal bleeding can be indicative of endometrial cancer
What are some risk factors for endometrial cancer?
Unopposed oestrogen is the cause!
RF: post-menopausal, obesity, T2DM, hypertension, PCOS, tamoxifen, LATE menopause, oestrogen therapy
What is the commonest histology of endometrial cancer?
adenocarcinoma
Which nodes to endometrial cancer metastasise first?
Para-aortic lymph nodes
What investigations would you do in a patient with suspected endometrial cancer?
Bloods
TVUS
Biopsy
MRI/CT- mets
What are the treatment options for stage 1,2 or 3 endometrial cancer?
Stage 1: hysterectomy with bilateral salpingoophrectomy
Stage 2: radical hysterectomy + pelvic node clearance
+/- chemo/radio
Stage 3: palliative - debunking surgery + radiotherapy to decrease bleeding
What is the histology of ectocervix and endocervix and what is the significance of where they meet?
Endocervix: columnar glandular
Ectocervix: stratified squamous epithelium
Meet at sqaumo-columnar junction - transitional zone and increased risk of malignancy here.
What does a cervical ectropion look like?
Red area where red endocervix extends out onto pale ectocervix
What are the two main risk factors for cervical ectropion?
COCP
pregnancy/puberty
A young girl aged 25 years old presents to the GP with some vaginal bleeding after sex and a bit of discharge. She has no other symptoms or red flags and her recent smear (1 month ago) was normal. PMH: COCP. What is the likely diagnosis?
Cervical ectropion
What is a complication of cervical ectropion?
Chronic cervicitis- ectropion can get infected and get increased discharge. Treat with antibiotics if needed + cryotherapy
How would you treat a cervical polyp?
Avulsion with forceps
What is a Nabothian follicle?
Metaplasia of ectocervix over endocervix- of the glandular cells –> MUCUS CYSTS
What would a Nabothian folllicle look like?
White cysts on cervix
What is cervical intraepithelial neoplasia?
Dyskaryotic cells in squamous epithelium - either stage 1 in lower 1/3, stage 2 in lower 2/3 or stage 3 in full thickness.
How is cervical intraepithelial neoplasia picked up?
Routine smears
A lady comes for her smear check and there are no dyskaryotic cells found. Can she go back to routine screening or does she need HPV testing?
Routine screening
A lady comes for her smear check and MILD/BORDERLINE dyskaryotic cells are found. What is the next step?
Testing for HPV
A lady with MILD/BORDERLINE dyskaryotic cells found on smear check is HPV +, what is the next step?
Colposcopy
A lady comes from her smear check and MODERATE-SEVRE dyskaryotic cells are found. What is the next step?
Straight to colposcopy.
What are risk factors for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
HPV (16,18), multiple partners, smoking, COCP
What is the treatment for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia?
LLETZ- large loop excision of the transitional zone (loop diathermy, loop excision)
What is the most common histology of cervical cancer?
Squamous cell carcinoma
What lymph nodes does cervical cancer metastasise too?
Pelvic nodes