Menstrual Disorders Flashcards
What is the menstrual cycle?
Menstrual cycle = time from first day of a woman’s period to the day before her next period
For the menstrual cycle what is: normal loss, average loss, average duration, length of cycle?
- Normal loss less than 80ml over 7 days
- Average loss 30-40ml
- Average duration 2-7 days
- Length of cycle 28 days (average 24-35 days)
What is menarche?
A womans first period
What is the average age for menarche and menopause?
- Menarche 10-16 years (average 12 years)
- Menopause 50-55 years
What are some examples of disturbances of menstruation?
- Disturbances of menstrual frequency
- Infrequent or frequent
- Irregular menstrual bleeding
- Absent or irregular
- Abnormal duration of flow
- Prolonged or shortened
- Abnormal menstrual volume
- Heavy or light
What terminology is used for describe frequency and what are the normal and abnormal limits?
What terminology is used for describe regularity and what are the normal and abnormal limits?
What terminology is used for describe duration and what are the normal and abnormal limits?
What terminology is used for describe volume and what are the normal and abnormal limits?
What are some indicators for heavy menstrual bleeding?
- Bleeding > 8 days
- And/or need to change menstrual products every one to two hours
- And/or passage of clots greater than 2.5cm
- Bleeding through clothes
- And/or very heavy periods as reported by woman –affecting quality of life
What is the aetiology of heavy menstrual bleeding?
- Uterine and ovarian pathologies
- Uterine fibroids
- Endometrial polyps
- Pelvic inflammatory disease and pelvic infection
- Endometrial hyperplasia or carcinoma
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
- Systemic diseases
- Coagulative disorders
- Hypothyroidism
- Liver or renal disease
- Iatrogenic causes
- Anticoagulant treatments
- Herbal supplements
- Intrauterine contraceptive device
What investigations should be done for heavy menstrual bleeding?
- Pelvic USS
- Examination
- Blood tests
- Clotting profile, thyroid function
- Endometrial biopsy
What blood tests should be done for heavy menstrual bleeding?
- Blood tests
- Clotting profile, thyroid function
Describe the management for heavy menstrual bleeding?
- Laparoscopy if endometriosis suspected – gold standard
- Hysterectomy (surgical removal of uterus)
- Options depend on
- Impact on QoL, underlying pathology, desire for future fertility and woman’s preferences
What is a possible complication of heavy menstrual bleeding?
Anaemia
What is a hysterectomy?
Surgical removal of uterus
What are fibroids?
Non-cancerous growths made of muscle and fibrous tissue, also called myoma or leiomyoma
What is the presentation of fibroids?
- May be asymptomatic
What investigations should be done for fibroids?
- USS
- Used to diagnose
Describe the management for fibroids?
- Symptom based
- For large fibroids
- Fibroid embolization or myomectomy
- For submucosal fibroids
- Hysteroscopic fibroid resection
- If all else has failed and fertility not required
- Hysterectomy
What are possible complications of fibroids?
- Can cause HMB, pelvic pain, urinary symptoms, pressure symptoms, backache, infertility, miscarriage
What is endometriosis?
Endometrial tissue present outside the lining of uterus, during menstruation this ectopic tissue behaves the same as endometrium and bleeds