Menstrual Disorders Flashcards
Define Amenorrhoea.
Absence of menstruation.
What is Primary Amenorrhea?
Failure to establish menstruation by 16 years old.
What is Secondary Amenorrhea?
When a person has started their period but then subsequently menstruation stops for more than 6 months.
Define Oligomenorrhoea.
Menstruation that has reduced in frequency, leading to a cycle length longer than 35 days and thus 4-9 periods only yearly.
Define Menorrhagia.
Heavy menstrual bleeding either by an objective volume of more than 80ml or/and a subjective opinion of the patient that the periods are heavier or that she is passing clots.
Define Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding.
No systemic/structural cause for abnormal bleeding. This is in the context of regularity of cycle/amount of blood lost in each cycle.
Describe fibroids.
Common benign tumour of smooth muscle in the myometrium that can be large and numerous. The tumours are hormone dependent so regress after menopause but prior can cause heavy menstrual bleeding due to increased surface area.
Why can fibroids cause heavy menstrual bleeding?
Increased surface area of the uterus wall.
Define Dysmenorrhoea.
Painful periods, cyclical pain associated with menstruation to the point where it interferes with QoL. Leads to chronic pelvic pain. Can be obstructive or structural.
What is the commonest cause of Dysmenorrhoea?
Endometriosis: ectopic endometrial tissue that can irritate the peritoneum leading to pain, intra-abdominal adhesions and sometimes infertility.
Describe the basis of PCOS?
A hyperandrogegism syndrome and with chronic an ovulation. There is a lack of GnRH pulses so many follicles are formed but one dominant one is not selected. LH dependent excess androgen production can also occur. Increased oestrogen secretion puts the women at increased risk of endometrial malignancy and insulin resistance places them at increased risk of diabetes and CVD.
What is the word for pain during intercourse?
Dyspareunia.
