Menstrual disorders Flashcards
What are the possible locations of endometrial foci?
- Ovary
- Rectovaginal pouch
- Rectum
- Uterosacral ligaments
- Umbilicus
- Bladder
- Vagina
- Lower abdominal scars
- Lungs
How does endometriosis bring about pain?
Foci bleed during menstruation, the blood causing irritation, provoking fibrosis, adhesions and subfertility
What are the possible causes of endometriosis?
- Retrograde menstruation
- Genetics
- Manual removal of the placenta/failure of proper CCT
Cycles of what length are considered ‘normal’?
25-35 days
A normal length of menstruation would be:
<8 days
How may an irregular period be defined?
Too frequent, or infrequent (less or more than 25-35 days) or of variable length
What are irregular and inter-menstrual bleeding caused by in the absence of pathology?
Anovulatory cycles. Treated with COCP or IUS
What are the possible causes of PCB?
Vagina causes = vaginitis; carcinoma
Cervical causes = carcinoma; cervicitis; trauma; ectropion; polyps
How is HMB technically defined?
> 80ml blood loss per period (i.e. the max a woman can tolerate w/out becoming iron-deficient anaemic)
How should HMB actually be assessed in clinic? (i.e. don’t use the technical definition because menstrual blood loss is rarely measured)
Subjectively, based on how the HMB affects her QoL
What proportion of hysterectomies do HMB account for?
> 50%
What are the vaginal causes of PCB?
Vaginitis and carcinoma
What are the cervical causes of PCB?
Carcinoma, cervicitis, trauma, ectropion, polypos
What are the causes of HMB?
Systemic causes = hypothyroidism + platelet disorders, e.g. von Willebrand’s
Pelvic causes =
1) Fibroids (30%)
2) Polyps (10%)
3) Endometriosis
4) Adenomyosis
5) Pregnancy/incomplete miscarriage (esp. in young girls and when they present with only one episode)
6) Endometrial cancer
What are the systemic causes of HMB?
Hypothyroidism + platelet disorders, e.g. von Willebrand’s
What are the pelvic causes of HMB?
1) Fibroids (30%)
2) Polyps (10%)
3) Endometriosis
4) Adenomyosis
5) Pregnancy/incomplete miscarriage (esp. in young girls and when they present with only one episode)
6) Endometrial cancer
When is an endometrial biopsy indicated in HMB?
1) Endometrial thickness >10mm (on TVUS)
2) Polyp suspected
3) >40 with recent onset menorrhagia
4) >40 + IMB
5) Not responded to treatment
What is the management for women with HMB who are TRYING TO CONCEIVE?
Tranexamic acid + NSAIDs
How does tranexamic acid work?
An anti-fibrinolytic, taken during menstruation only, it reduces fibrinolytic activity and can reduce blood loss by >50%
What is the management for women with HMB who are NOT trying to conceive?
1st = Progestogen IUS (will both reduce volume loss and regulate the loss)
2nd = Tranexamic acid + NSAIDs / COCP
3rd =Progestogens (high OS dose or IM) / GnRH analogs +/- ‘add-back’ HRT
4th = hysteroscopy (endometrial ablation) /hysterectomy
How may endometriosis present?
1) Deep dyspareunia
2) Dysmenorrhoea
3) HMB
4) Asymptomatic - first presentation might be the acute pain of a ruptured chocolate cyst
5) Subfertility
6) Chronic pelvic pain
7) Dysuria at menses
8) Dychezia at menses
How may endometriosis appear on laparoscopy?
1) Red dots
2) Black ‘powder-burn’
3) White scarring
Black powder-burn and white scarring indicate less active lesions