Gynaecology Flashcards
What is androgen insensitivity syndrome
X-linked recessive
Cells are unable to respond to androgen hormones due to lack of androgen receptors
- Extra androgens are converted into oestrogen, resulting in female secondary sexual characteristics
- Genetically male (XY) but absent response to testosterone
- Female phenotype externally = normal female external genitalia and breast tissue
- Testes in abdomen or inguinal canal and absence of uterus, upper vagina, cervix, fallopian tubes and ovaries
- Testes produce anti-Mullerian hormone
Presentation of androgen insensitivity syndrome
- Inguinal hernia in infancy containing testes
- Primary amenorrhoea
- Lack of pubic hair, facial hair and male type muscle development
- Taller than female average
- Infertility
Hormone tests for androgen insensitivity syndrome
o Raised LH
o Normal/raised FSH
o Normal/raised testosterone (for male)
o Raised oestrogen levels (for male)
Management of androgen insensitivity syndrome
- MDT approach
- Bilateral orchidectomy
- Oestrogen therapy
- Vaginal dilators/vaginal surgery
- Counselling
Complications of androgen insensitivity syndrome
Testicular cancer
What is Ashermann’s syndrome
- Adhesions form within uterus following damage to uterus
- Endometrial curettage (scraping) can damage basal layer of endometrium
- Adhesions form physical obstructions and distort pelvic organs
Risk factors for Ashermann’s syndrome
- Pregnancy-related dilatation and curettage procedure
- Uterine surgery
- Several pelvic infections (endometritis)
Presentation of Ashermann’s syndrome
- Secondary amenorrhoea
- Significantly lighter periods
- Dysmenorrhoea
- Infertility
Investigations/management of Ashermann’s syndrome
- Hysteroscopy (+ dissection)
Complications of Ashermann’s syndrome
- Menstruation abnormalities
- Infertility
- Recurrent miscarriages
What is atrophic vaginitis
- Epithelial lining of vagina and urinary tract responds to oestrogen by becoming thicker, more elastic and producing secretions.
- As women enter the menopause, oestrogen levels fall, so mucosa becomes thinner, less elastic and more dry
Risk factors for atrophic vaginitis
Menopause = lack of oestrogen
Presentation of atrophic vaginitis
- Itching
- Dryness
- Dyspareunia
- Bleeding due to localised inflammation
- Recurrent UTI
- Stress incontinence
- Pelvic organ prolapse
- Pale mucosa
- Thin skin
- Reduced skin folds
- Erythema and inflammation
- Sparse pubic hair
Management of atrophic vaginitis
- Vaginal lubricants
- Topical oestrogen
o Estriol cream
o Estriol pessaries
o Estradiol tablets (vagifem)
o Estradiol ring (Estring) - Monitored annually
Risk factors for cervical cancer
- Multiple sexual partners
- Early first intercourse
- High parity
- Low SES
- Smoking
- COCP
- HIV/ Immunosuppression
Causes of cervical cancer
HPV 16, 18, 33
Histology of cervical cancer
- Squamous cell carcinoma (most common)
- Adenocarcinoma
Presentation of cervical cancer
- Asymptomatic
- Abnormal vaginal discharge/bleeding = purulent, red/brown
- Dyspareunia
- Post-coital bleeding
- Intermenstrual bleeding
- Late Sx Haematuria, PR bleeding, Urinary/bowel symptoms
- Unusual appearance of cervix
- Bulky masses on bimanual PB
- Hepatosplenomegaly
Screening for cervical cancer
- Cervical smear
o 3 yearly from 25-50
o 5 yearly from 50-64
Investigations for positive smear
- Colposcopy and biopsy Abnormal cells in cervix removed by large loop excision of transformation zone
o Followed by cervical cancer screening test 6m later with HPV test - STI testing
Staging of cervical cancer
- 1a = microscopic intraepithelial tumours
- 1b = confined to cervix
- 2 = spread into upper 2/3rd vagina or parametrium but not pelvic wall
- 3 = spread throughout vagina or to pelvic sidewall
- 4 = involvement of bladder, rectum or distant sites
Management of cervical cancer
- CIN treatment
o CIN1 = spontaneous regression within 2yrs
o CIN2/3 = LLETZ
o CGIN = LLETZ or cone biopsy - Hysterectomy and lymph node clearance (GS)
Risk factors for ovarian cancer
- BRCA1/2 (FHx)
- Early menarche, late menopause
- Oestrogen HRT
- Nulliparity
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Clomifene
- Hysterectomy
Protective factors for ovarian cancer
OCP, pregnancy, lactation
Presentation for ovarian cancer
- Often late presentation as asymptomatic
- Bloating
- Eating difficulty (loss of appetite/early satiety)
- Abdominal/pelvic pain/distention
- Toilet changes urinary/bowel Sx
- Bleeding/discharge
- Weight loss
- Diarrhoea
- Ascites +/- pleural effusion
Investigations for ovarian cancer
- 2WW for any woman with ascites +/- pelvic mass that is not fibroids
- Pregnancy test
- CA125 >35IU/ml
- Pelvic and abdominal USS
- Biopsy
- RMI score >250 = urgent referral to secondary care
- Diagnostic laparoscopy
Other causes of raised Ca125
- Adenomyosis
- Ascites
- Endometriosis
- Menstruation
- Breast cancer
- Ovarian torsion
- Endometrial cancer
- Liver disease
- Metastatic lung cancer
Management of ovarian cancer
- Early stage = excision of all tumour during surgery, with adjuvant chemo
- Late stage = debulking with amount of residual disease corresponding with prognosis
- Chemo, radio
- Hormonal/targeted therapy
- Fertility preservation
Risk factors for endometrial cancer
- Early menarche
- Late menopause
- Unopposed oestrogen (oestrogen only HRT)
- Nulliparity
- Endometrial hyperplasia
- Obesity
- DM
- Tamoxifen
- PCOS
- HNPCC
Protective factors for endometrial cancer
- Combined oral contraceptive pill
- Pregnancy
- Lactation
- Smoking
Histology of endometrial cancer
Adenocarcinoma
Presentation of endometrial cancer
- Postmenopausal bleeding
- If premenopausal = change intermenstrual bleeding
- Abnormal bleeding or discharge
- Pelvic pain/pressure
- Haematuria
Investigations for endometrial cancer
- Women >55 referred to suspected cancer pathway
- TV USS = endometrial thickness >4mm
- Hysteroscopy with Endometrial biopsy
Staging of endometrial cancer
- confined to endometrium and myometrium
- invades cervical stroma but not extend outside uterus
- local or regional spread beyond uterus
- involvement of bladder, bowel or distant metastasis
Management of endometrial cancer
- Total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salping-oophorectomy
o +/- pelvic LN removal - Chemo, radio
- Fertility preservation
- Progesterone therapy
o in frail elderly women not considered suitable for surgery
o If they still have a uterus must be given progesterone
Risk factors for vaginal cancer
- Age
- HPV
- Early age of 1st intercourse
- HIV
- Typically spreads from cervix or endometrial
Presentation of vaginal cancer
- Abnormal bleeding/discharge
- Change in toilet habits
- Mass/lump
- Itching
- Soreness
- Dysuria
Risk factors for vulval cancer
- Age
- HPV
- Smoking
- Skin disease = Lichen sclerosus
- Immunosuppression
- Vulval intraepithelial neoplasia
Presentation of vulval cancer
- Delayed presentation
- Vulval lump or ulcer on labia majora
- Bleeding due to ulceration
- Itching/burning of vulva
- Pain
- Skin changes
- Inguinal lymphadenopathy
Staging of vulval cancer
- confined to vulva/perineum
- tumour extending to adjacent perineal structures
- inguino-femoral lymph node metastasis
- tumour invading other regional structures or with distant metastasis
Complications for vulval cancer
- Psychological
- Scarring and painful sex
- Nerve damage
- Groin and leg swelling
- Bowel and bladder problems
2WW for vulval cancer
any woman presenting with unexplained vulval lumps, ulceration, bleeding
What is infertility
- Failure to conceive after 1 year of trying
- Primary = inability to conceive with no prior pregnancy
- Secondary = inability to conceive but prior pregnancy occurred
Risk factors for infertility
- Increasing age
- Obesity
- Smoking
- Tight-fitting underwear
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Anabolic steroid use
- Illicit drug use
Female causes of infertility
- Ovulatory (25%) = not ovulating or poor ovarian reserve
o Hypogonadotropic hypogonadal anovulation = hypothalamic amenorrhoea, pituitary tumours, Sheehan’s syndrome, hyperprolactinaemia, Cushing’s syndrome
o Normogonadotropic normoestrogenic anovulation = PCOS
o Hypergonadotropic hypoestrogenic anovulation = premature ovarian failure, chromosomal abnormalities - Tubal (15%) = obstruction
o Congenital anatomical abnormalities
o Adhesions following PID - Uterine/peritoneal (10%) =
o Fibroids/polyps
o Bicornate uterus
o Asherman’s syndrome
o Endometriosis - Cervical abnormalities
o Cervical damage after biopsy or LLETZ - Genetic causes = Turner’s syndrome
Male causes of infertility
o Cryptorchidism
o Varicocele
o Testicular cancer
o Congenital testicular defects
o Obstruction of ejaculatory system
o Disorders of ejaculation
o Kleinfelter’s syndrome
Referral criteria for infertility
- Refer for testing after 1 yr of trying
- Refer to treatment after 2 yrs of trying
Investigations for infertility
- Ovulation/ovarian function
- Semen quality
o Count >15m/ml
o Motility >32%
o Morphology >4%
o Total >39m
o Repeat after 3 months if abnormal - Tubal patency (+uterus)
- Ovarian reserve testing = need low FSH, high antral follicle count, high antimullerian hormone
- Female hormone profile
o Serum LH and FSH on day 2-5 = high FSH poor ovarian reserve, high LH PCOS
o Serum progesterone on day 21 (7 days before end of cycle)
o Anti-Mullerian hormone
o TFTs
o Prolactin = high anovulation - BMI = low anovulation, high PCOS
- Chlamydia screening
- USS pelvis
- Hysterosalpingogram
- Laparoscopy and dye test
Early referral for infertility
- Female age>35
- Menstrual disorder
- Previous abdominal/pelvic/urogenital surgery
- Previous PID/STD
- Abnormal pelvic/genital examination
- Previous male genital pathology
- Systemic illness
Preconception advice
- Intercourse 2-3x week (don’t time with ovulation)
- Folic acid daily – 0.4mg or 5mg (high risk)
- Smear
- Rubella
- Smoking cessation and avoid alcohol
- Pre-existing medical conditions
- Drug history
- Environmental/ occupational exposure
- Reduce stress = affect libido and relationship
- Weight (BMI 19-30)
Male infertility treatments
o Mild = intrauterine insemination
o Moderate = IVF
o Severe = intracytoplasmic sperm injection
o Azoospermia = surgical sperm recovery, donor insemination
o Surgery – correction of epidymal block, vasectomy reversal
o Hormonal – gonadotrophins
Male lifestyle advice
o Heat avoidance
o Underpants/boxers
o Smoking
o Alcohol
o Occupational exposure
o Diet/supplements = folic acid and zinc
o Weight
What is lichen sclerosis
Chronic autoimmune inflammatory skin condition often affecting labia, perineum and perianal skin
Risk factors for lichen sclerosis
- T1DM
- Alopecia
- Hypothyroid
- Vitiligo
Presentation of lichen sclerosis
- Vulval itching
- Soreness and pain possibly worse at night
- Skin tightness
- Painful sex (superficial dyspareunia)
- Erosions
- Fissures
- Worse with tight underwear, urinary incontinence, scratching
- Shiny “porcelain-white” patches of skin
- Tight and thin skin
- Slightly raised skin
- Papules or plaques
- Koebner phenomenon = sx worse by friction to skin
Management of lichen sclerosis
- Follow up every 3-6 months
- Potent topical steroids = clobetasol propionate 0.05% (dermovate)
- Emollients regularly
Complications of lichen sclerosis
- 5% risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma of vulva
- Pain and discomfort
- Sexual dysfunction
- Bleeding
- Narrowing of vaginal or urethral openings
What is premenstrual syndrome
Psychological, emotional and physical symptoms that occur during luteal phase of menstrual cycle
Presentation of premenstrual syndrome
- Cyclical symptoms that occur just before and resolve after the onset of menstruation
- Low mood
- Anxiety
- Mood swings
- Irritability
- Bloating
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Breast pain
- Reduced confidence
- Cognitive impairment
- Clumsiness
- Reduced libido