Gynae Peer Teaching Flashcards
When is the first day of the menstrual cycle?
The first day of menstruation
What happens to the endometrium during menstruation?
The spiral arteries vasoconstrict
Necrosis/shedding of the endometrium
Contraction of the myometrium (causing pain)
What phase is between day 5-13?
Proliferative phase
What happens in the proliferative phase (day 5-13)
FSH rises and stimulated the follicles to mature
Follicles produce estradiol (which inhibits FSH) and the endometrium reforms
There is an LH surge
What phase is between 14 and 28 days?
Luteal phase
What happens in the luteal phase (14-28#0
The follicle becomes the corpus luteum which produces progesterone
What changes occur in the endometrium during the luteal phase?
stromal cells enlarge
glands swell
Epithelial cell vacuolation
What happens at the end of the luteal phase if pregnancy does not occur?
Corpus luteum begins to fail - causing the progesterone and estrogen levels to fall
Endometrium begins to break down
What is the age of normal menarche?
11-16 years
When is normal menopause?
Over 45 years
How long is the normal menstrual period?
Less than 8 days
What causes menopause?
Loss of ovarian follicular activity
When is perimenopause?
Starting with the first features of menopause and ending 12 months after the last period
When is premature menopause?
Before 40
Name 3 conditions which early menopause increases the risk of occurring.
Osteoporosis
Cardivascular disease
Dementia
What are the urogenital problems associated with menopause?
Vaginal atrophy
Urinary problems e.g. infection, incontinence
Dyspareunia
List 2 investigations for menopause and when they should be undertaken:
FSH between days 2-5 and is ELEVATED in menopause
Anti-mullerian hormone any day
Which cancer risk is increased with combined HRT and oestrogen only HRT?
Combined = breast cancer
Oestrogen onle = endometrial
Name 3 risks of HRT
VTE
CVS disease
gall bladder disease
(endometrial and breast cancer)
Give 2 causes of premature menopause
chemo and radiotherapy
hysterectomy
What would the blood tests reveal in someone going through premature menopause?
Low Oestrogen (<20) and high FSH >40IU
Treatment for premature menopause:
HRT
Fertility
Androgen replacement e.g. testosterone gel
Menorrhagia is….
Blood loss >80mL or blood loss that interferes with a woman’s daily quality of life
How to know if menstrual bleeding is more than 80mL?
Ask about flooding and passage of clots
Investigations for menorrhagia
Transvaginal ultrasound - assess endometrial thickness and exclude fibroid/ovarian mass
When is an endometrial biopsy indicated for women with menorrhagia?
- endometrial thickness >10mm in premenopausal women or >4mm in postmenopausal women
- suspected polyp
- intermenstrual bleeding
What is the initial investigation of menorrhagia?
Pelvic bimanual examination
Menstrual charting
Anaemia
TFT, coagulopathies excluded
What is the first line management of menorrhagia?
IUS
What is the management of menorrhagia in women trying to conceive?
Tranexamic acid or NSAIDs
Name 2 surgical managements for menorrhagia? (George had 1)
Endometrial ablation
Uterine artery embolisation
What does tranexamic acid do?
It is an anti fibrinolytic that Inhibits the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin may reduce blood loss by 50%
If your periods have not started by age 16 this is called…
Primary amenorrhoea
If your periods have stopped for more than 6 months this is called…
Secondary amenorrhoea
If your menstrual cycle is more than 35 days for 6 months this is called…
Oligomenorrhoea
Name 4 investigations in amenorrhoea
Pregnancy test
FSH and LH
Prolactin (TWICE)
Total testosterone and sex-hormone binding globulin levels
If you suspect PCOS what is the investigation?
Pelvic ultrasound
What is secondary dysmenorrhoea?
Pain BEFORE onset of menstruation
Name some fatures associated with secondary dysmenorrhoea
Depp dyspareunia
Heavy and irregular menstrual flow
What may cause secondary dysmenorrhoea?
fibroids, endometriosis, ovarian tumours
Investigations for secondary dysmenorrhoea?
Pelvic ultrasound
examination
Swabs if STI risk
When do you have anovulatary ccycles?
During the early and late reproductive years
List 3 non malignant causes of irregular menstrual bleeding.
Fibroids
Uterine polyps
Adenomyosis
How do cervical pathologies commonly present?
Post coital bleeding
Name the ligaments which support the uterus at the cervix
uterosacral ligaments and cardinal ligaments
What is the fold of peritoneum that covers the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries called?
The broad ligament
Name the 3 parts of the broad ligmanent
Mesovarium
Mesosalpinx
Mesometrium
Which arteries run through the broad ligament?
Ovarian and uterine arteries
Which ligaments run through the broad ligament
Round ligament of the uterus
ovarian ligament
suspensory ligament of uterus
Name the branches from the internal iliac artery to the endometrium (UARBS)
internal iliac artery > uterine artery > arcuate artery > radial artery > basal artery > spinal artery
What is a fibroid?
Benign tumour of the myometrium