Gynaecology Flashcards
Contents: - Menstrual cycle and associated disorders - Sexuality and sexual development disorders - Fertility, contraception and reproductive endocrinology - Gynaecological infectious diseases - Urogynaecology - Neoplastic disorders - Breast disorders
The menstrual cycle:
What are the different phases of the menstrual cycle?
- The follicular phase
- Ovulation
- The luteal phase (always 14 days)
The menstrual cycle:
How long does a normal menstrual cycle last? When does it begin?
- 24 - 38 days
- Average is 28 days
- The first day of menstrual bleeding is counted as day 1
The menstrual cycle:
What occurs during the follicular phase?
- Pulsatile GnRH release from the hypothalamus → LH and FSH
- Follicles mature → negative feedback inhibits FSH release
- One follicle becomes dominant, growing while all others regress (due to low FSH)
- Due to fewer developing follicles oestrogen begins to drop → less inhibition → rapid LH surge → ovulation
The menstrual cycle:
What occurs in the luteal phase?
- After ovulation, the dominant follicle becomes a corpus luteum, secreting progesterone → inhibits LH secretion
- Falling LH causes the corpus luteum to degrade → decreased oestrogen and progesterone secretion → the endometrium cannot be maintained and is sloughed off → menstruation
- If no pregnancy occurs, the corpus luteum regresses
- If pregnancy occurs, β-hCG maintains the corpus luteum allowing further endometrial proliferation
The menstrual cycle:
What are the stages of endometrial growth and development? How long does each last?
- The menstrual phase (lasts 3 - 7 days)
- The proliferative phase (lasts ∼ 10 days)
- The secretory phase (lasts 10 - 14 days)
The menstrual cycle:
What are the functions of oestrogen?
- Stimulates endometrial & vaginal epithelial proliferation
- Thins cervical mucous → facilitates passage of sperm
- Stimulates development of secondary sexual characteristics (pubic hair, breast development)
- Inhibits GnRH, LH, and FSH secretion
The menstrual cycle:
What are the functions of progesterone?
- Increases endometrial secretions
- Inhibits endometrial hyperplasia
- Thickens cervical mucous
- Downregulates oestrogen receptors
- Raises body temperature
- Inhibits LH and FSH secretion
The menstrual cycle:
Adverse effects of oestrogen?
- Risk factor for malignancy (endometrial and breast)
- Thrombosis risk
- Breast hypertrophy and gynaecomastia
- Weight gain (oedema)
- Liver toxicity
Menopause:
What is menopause?
The time at which a woman permanently stops menstruating (usually between 45 and 55 years)
Menopause:
What is perimenopause?
- The time period lasting from the first onset of menopausal symptoms until one year after menopause (typically lasts around 4 years)
Menopause:
What is premenopause?
- The period between the onset of menopausal symptoms and the final menstrual period
- Characterised by increasingly infrequent periods
Menopause:
What is postmenopause?
The time period beginning 12 months following a woman’s final menstrual period
Menopause:
What is the physiology of menopause?
- Numerical depletion of ovarian follicles occurs with age
- This causes low oestrogen and progesterone levels → loss of negative feedback to the anterior pituitary
- Ends up with raised FSH and LH and anovulatory cycles
Menopause:
Features of menopause?
- Oligo- → amenorrhoea
- Autonomic symptoms: hot flushes, sweating, heat intolerance
- Mental symptoms: mood swings, impaired sleep, anxiety
- Atrophic symptoms (due to ↓oestrogen): atrophic vaginitis, osteoporosis
Menopause:
Diagnosis of menopause?
- Diagnosis is usually clinical, but can be helped with blood tests:
- ↓oestrogen, ↓progesterone, ↓inhibin B, ↑↑FSH
Menopause:
Management?
Advise regarding contraception:
- Women ≥ 50 should use contraception for 12 months following their last menstrual period
- Women < 50 should use contraception for 24 months following their last menstrual period
Lifestyle management:
- Regular exercise, weight loss, good sleep hygeine, and reducing stress all help
HRT management:
- Must be combined if the patient has a uterus (mirena coil is sufficient if they already have one in)
- If the patient has no uterus then oestrogen alone can be used
Non-HRT management:
- Vaginal dryness = vaginal lubricant/moisturiser
- Vasomotor symptoms = fluoxetine, citalopram
- Psychological symptoms = CBT, antidepressants
- Urogenital symptoms: urogenital atrophy → oestrogen cream
Menopause:
Contraindications for HRT?
- Current or past breast cancer
- Any oestrogen-sensitive cancer
- Undiagnosed vaginal bleeding
- Untreated endometrial hyperplasia
Menopause:
Risks of HRT?
- VTE → slight increase in risk with all oral forms, no increase with transdermal forms
- Stroke → slightly increased risk with oestrogen
- Ovarian cancer → increased risk with all forms
- Breast cancer → increased risk with all forms, but no increased risk of dying from breast ca.
Menopause:
Define premature menopause?
Also known as premature ovarian failure or primary ovarian insufficiency, it is defined as the onset of menopausal symptoms with raised gonadotrophin levels before the age of 40
Menopause:
Risk factors for premature menopause?
- Idiopathic (90% of cases)
- Genetic disorders associated with ovarian hypoplasia (e.g. Turner’s syndrome)
- Autoimmune disorders (e.g. Addison’s disease)
- Toxins (smoking is a major risk factor)
- Iatrogenic (e.g. chemotherapy/radiotherapy)
- Infectious diseases (e.g. mumps)
Menstrual disorders:
What is primary dysmenorrhoea?
Recurrent lower abdominal pain shortly before or during menstruation in the absence of pathology that could explain such symptoms
Menstrual disorders:
Diagnosis of primary dysmenorrhoea?
Diagnosis of exclusion; must rule out disorders that cause secondary dysmenorrhoea (e.g. endometriosis)
Menstrual disorders:
Treatment of primary dysmenorrhoea?
- NSAIDs (e.g. mefenamic acid) are effective in 80% of women
- COCP is second line
Menstrual disorders:
What are some causes of secondary dysmenorrhoea?
- Endometriosis
- Adenomyosis
- PID
- Copper coil
- Fibroids
Menstrual disorders:
Investigation of secondary dysmenorrhoea?
- FBC to check for infection
- Urinalysis to check for UTI
- β-hCG to rule out pregnancy
- Gonococcal/chlamidyal swabs to check for STI/PID
- Pelvic ultrasound
Treatment depends on the underlying cause
Menstrual disorders:
What is primary amenorrhoea?
The failure to establish menstruation by 15 years of age in girls with normal secondary sexual characteristics (such as breast development), or by 13 years of age in girls with no secondary sexual characteristics
Menstrual disorders:
What is secondary amenorrhoea?
The cessation of menstruation for 3-6 months in women with previously normal and regular menses, or 6-12 months in women with previous oligomenorrhoea
Menstrual disorders:
Causes of primary amenorrhoea?
- Gonadal hypoplasia (e.g. Turner’s syndrome)
- Imperforate hymen
- Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
- Functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea (e.g. anorexia nervosa)
Menstrual disorders:
Causes of secondary amenorrhoea?
- Hypothalamic amenorrhoea (e.g. excessive exercise, stress)
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- Hyperprolactinaemia
- Sheehan’s syndrome
- Premature ovarian failure
- Thyrotoxicosis
- Asherman’s syndrome (intrauterine adhesions)
Menstrual disorders:
Investigation of amenorrhoea?
- β-hCG to rule out pregnancy
- Full blood count, U&Es, TFTs
- Gonadotrophins (↓in hypothalamic cause, ↑ovarian causes e.g. premature failure)
- Prolactin
- Androgen levels (may be raised in PCOS)
- Oestradiol
Menstrual disorders:
Management of amenorrhoea?
Primary:
- Identify and treat underlying cause
- HRT in hypogonadism (e.g. Kallman’s syndrome)
Secondary:
- Exclude pregnancy, lactation and menopause
- Treat underlying cause
- HRT in ovarian failure
Endometriosis:
Pathophysiology?
Poorly understood, seems to be associated with:
- Retrograde menstruation
- Haematological/lymphatic disssemination
- Results in disseminated growth of endometrial tissue around the body
- Endometrial implants → release of inflammatory mediators
- Can cause adhesions → infertility
Endometriosis:
Commonly affected sites?
Pelvic organs:
- Ovaries (most common, often affected bilaterally)
- Fallopian tubes
- Bladder
- Cervix
Peritoneum;
Less commonly:
- Lungs
- Diaphragm
Endometriosis:
Clinical features?
- Chronic pelvic pain that worsens before the onset of menses
- Uterosacral tenderness and nodularity
- Pre-/postmenstrual bleeding
- Subfertility
4 D’s:
- Dysuria
- Dyspareunia
- Dyschezia (pain on defacation)
- Dysmenorrhoea
Endometriosis:
Diagnosis?
- Laparoscopy is the gold standard investigation
- Ultrasound of little use (except ruling-out other pathology) - if diagnosis suspected, they should be referred for expert assessment
Endometriosis:
Management?
Mild-moderate symptom control:
- 1st line = NSAIDs and/or paracetamol
- Danazol (synthetic androgen that ↓FSH and LH secretion)
Severe/non-responsive symptom control:
- Hormonal treatment e.g. COCP, depot-provera
- GnRH analogues (e.g. goserelin)
Subfertility:
- Drug treatments unfortunately do not seem to help
- Laparoscopic excision and laser ablation of endometrial implants may help
Endometriosis:
Complications?
- Anaemia
- Increased risk of ectopic pregnancy
- Adhesions can cause intestinal obstruction (mainly small bowel)
Polycystic ovarian syndrome:
Clinical features?
- Menstrual irregularities: amenorrhoea/oligomenorrhoea; menorrhagia
- Infertility/subfertility
- Obesity
- Hirsutism & acne
- Insulin resistance → acanthosis nigricans
Polycystic ovarian syndrome:
Diagnosis?
Rotterdam Criteria:
- Oligomenorrhoea/amenorrhoea
- Hyperandrogenism (e.g. hirsutism)
- Polycystic ovaries on ultrasound
Lab studies:
- LH:FSH ratio (typically raised)
- Confirm hyperandrogenism (↑testosterone)
Polycystic ovarian syndrome:
Management?
- Weight loss (improves symptoms AND fertility)
Patient not wishing to conceive → COCP:
- Improves menstrual abnormalities
- Improves acne and hirsutism
- Reduces risk of endometrial cancer
Patient wishing to conceive:
- Inducing ovulation: 1st line = letrozole, clomiphene, 2nd line = exogenous gonadotrophins
- Metformin; combination with clomiphene especially effective in obese women
Ovarian cysts:
Types?
Functional:
- Follicular cyst (commonest cyst in young women) - occurs when dominant follicle fails to release the oocyte, and instead continues to grow
- Corpus luteum cyst
Non-functional:
- Chocolate cyst (endometrioid)
- Dermoid cyst (mature teratomas)
- Cystadenoma (serous/mucinous)
- Malignant cysts (e.g. cystadenocarcinoma)
Ovarian cysts:
Clinical features?
- Usually asymptomatic until a complication occurs
- Adnexal mass may be felt
- May show signs of underlying cause such as in endometriosis
Ovarian cysts:
Investigation and diagnosis?
Any palpable ovarian mass in premenarchal/postmenopausal patients must be investigated for ovarian cancer!
Pelvic ultrasound is investigation of choice
Ovarian cysts:
Mangagement?
- In most patients watchful waiting is recommended
- Surgery may be required in patients with complications, large cysts, or persistent cysts that are painful
Ovarian cysts:
Complications?
- Rupture
- Torsion
Ovarian cysts:
Clinical features of a ruptured cyst?
- Often occurs following vigorous exercise
- Sudden-onset unilateral, lower abdominal pain
- Small amount of vaginal bleeding (spotting)
Ovarian cysts:
Diagnosis of a ruptured cyst?
Transabdominal/transvaginal ultrasound scan, showing free fluid in the pouch of Douglas
Ovarian cysts:
Management of a ruptured cyst?
- Haemodynamically stable patients: conservative management with analgesia and monitoring
- Haemodynamically unstable patients: emergency exploratory laparoscopy/laparotomy
Ovarian cysts:
Pathophysiology of ovarian torsion?
- Twisting of the ovary and fallopian tube around the infundibulopelvic ligament and ovarian ligament
- This causes compression of the venous and lymphatic drainage, causing oedema
- If this gets bad enough, it can compress the arteries supplying the ovary, causing ischaemia and necrosis, though this is rare as the ovaries receive dual blood supply from the ovarian and uterine arteries
Ovarian cysts:
Clinical features of ovarian torsion?
- Sudden onset, progressive, unilateral lower abdominal/pelvic pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Adnexal mass may be palpable
Ovarian cysts:
Diagnosis of ovarian torsion?
- Transabdominal/transvaginal pelvic ultrasound with Doppler → enlarged, oedematous ovary with reduced blood flow
- MRI abdomen and pelvis with contrast → “whirlpool sign”
Ovarian cysts:
Management of ovarian torsion?
Emergency exploratory laparoscopy in all patients, allowing adnexal detorsion and preservation of ovarian function
Anomalies of the female genital tract:
What are the commonest anomalies of Müllerian duct fusion?
- Septate uterus: ducts fuse, but septum remains between them
- Unicornuate uterus: single, arc-shaped uterus
- Bicornuate uterus: double uterus ± double cervix, vagina normal or septate
- Didelphic uterus: double uterus, double cervix, double vagina
- Müllerian agenesis: hypoplastic/absent uterus, absent cervix, vaginal atresia (with functional ovaries)
Anomalies of the female genital tract:
What is Asherman’s syndrome? What causes it?
- A condition defined by the presence of intrauterine adhesions
- Most commonly occurs following vaginal curettage
- Can also occur after infection (e.g. chlamidya)
Anomalies of the female genital tract:
Clinical features of Asherman’s syndrome?
- Usually asymptomatic
- Abnormal uterine bleeding
- Secondary amenorrhoea
- Infertility
- Recurrent pregnancy loss
- Periodic abdominal pain
Anomalies of the female genital tract:
Diagnosis of Asherman’s syndrome?
Hysteroscopy to visualise adhesions
Anomalies of the female genital tract:
Management of Asherman’s syndrome?
Hysteroscopic resection of adhesions
Anomalies of the female genital tract:
Clinical features of imperforate hymen?
- Asymptomatic before puberty
- Primary amenorrhoea
- Periodic abdominal pain
- Perineal examination: bulging, tense, bluish membrane in vulva
Anomalies of the female genital tract:
Diagnosis and management of imperforate hymen?
- Diagnosis is made clinically
- Management is hymenectomy (surgical excision of the hymen)
Anomalies of the female genital tract:
Pathophysiology of vaginal atresia?
- Agenesis or hypoplasia of the Müllerian duct → atresia of the upper ⅓ of the vagina
- Normal female phenotype → normal development of secondary sexual characteristics
- Associated with absent or malformed uterus and cervix
Anomalies of the female genital tract:
Clinical features of vaginal atresia?
- Dyspareunia
- Primary amenorrhoea
- Infertility
Anomalies of the female genital tract:
Diagnosis of vaginal atresia?
- Lab tests: normal levels of gonadotrophins, oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone
- Ultrasound: limited view of the uterus and vagina
Anomalies of the female genital tract:
Treatment of vaginal atresia?
Vaginoplasty
Disorders of sex development:
What is androgen insensitivity syndrome?
- X-linked recessive condition resulting in defective androgen receptors, and variable end-organ androgen insensitivity
- Male genotype (46,XY) with a female phenotype
Disorders of sex development:
Clinical features of androgen insensitivity syndrome?
- Female external genetalia and physique (including female breast development)
- Blind-ending vaginal pouch
- Scant/no pubic hair
- Primary amenorrhoea & infertility
- Absent male internal genetalia
- Bilateral undescended testes
Disorders of sex development:
Diagnosis of androgen insensitivity syndrome?
Hormone testing:
- Before puberty → raised testosterone
- After puberty → raised LH and oestrogen
Genetic testing
Disorders of sex development:
Treatment of androgen insensitivity syndrome?
Hormonal treatment:
- Complete androgen insensitivity: oestrogen replacement
- Partial androgen insensitivity: high-dose androgen therapy in those with male gender identity
Gonadectomy for intra-abdominal/intralabial testes:
- Usually done after puberty
- Prevents malignancy
Disorders of sex development:
What is Klinefelter’s syndrome?
- Nondisjunction of sex chromosomes during meiosis resulting in phenotype of 47,XXY
- One of the commonest causes of male hypogonadism
Disorders of sex development:
Clinical features of Klinefelter’s syndrome?
- Asymptomatic before puberty
- Tall, slim stature with long extremities
- Gynaecomastia
- Reduced facial and body hair
- Testicular atrophy
- Reduced fertility
- Micropenis
- May be neurodevelopmental delay
Disorders of sex development:
Conditions associated with Klinefelter’s syndrome?
- Mitral valve prolapse
- Increased risk of breast and testicular cancer
Disorders of sex development:
Diagnosis of Klinefelter’s syndrome?
Genetic karyotyping
Disorders of sex development:
Management of Klinefelter’s syndrome?
Lifelong testosterone supplementation
Disorders of sex development:
What is Kallman syndrome?
Genetic condition resulting in hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism with anosmia
Disorders of sex development:
Clinical features of Kallman syndrome?
- Anosmia or hyposmia
- In males: cryptorchidism and low sperm count
- In females: primary amenorrhoea
- Absent or reduced pubertal changes