Menstrual Disorders Flashcards
What is the menstrual cycle?
The time from the first day of a woman’s period to the day before her next period
How much blood is lost in menstruation?
- Normal loss:less than 80 ml over 7 days
* Average loss: 30-40 ml
How long does a period last?
2-7 days
What is the length of a menstrual cycle?
28 days (average 24-35 days)
When is menarche?
- 10-16 years
* Average - 12 years
When is menopause?
50-55 years
How may menstruation be disturbed?
- Disturbance 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
How may menstruation be disturbed?
- Disturbance 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
MENSTRUAL PARAMETERS
What defines heavy menstrual bleeding?
•Difficult to measure quantity
•AND/OR the need to change menstrual products every one to two hours
•AND/OR passage of clots greater than 2.5 cm
Bleeding through the clothes
•AND/OR ‘very heavy’ periods as reported by the woman/affecting quality of life
•Can occur alone or in combination with symptoms like dysmenorrhea
•5% of women aged 30-49 in UK consult GP each year due to HMB
•Health Implications e.g. anaemia
•20%women in UK have hysterectomy aged <60 due to HMB
What are the uterine and ovarian pathologies that can cause HMB?
- Uterine fibroids - (HMB/dysmenorrhoea, pelvic pain)
- Endometrial polyps - (HMB/ intermenstrual bleeding)
- Endometriosis and adenomyosis - (HMB/dysmenorrhoea, dyspareunia, pelvic pain, difficulty conceiving)
- Pelvic inflammatory disease and pelvic infection - (for example chlamydia — may also present with vaginal discharge, pelvic pain, intermenstrual and postcoital bleeding, and fever)
- Endometrial hyperplasia or carcinoma - (postcoital bleeding, intermenstrual bleeding, pelvic pain)
- Polycystic ovary syndrome - (causes anovulatory menorrhagia and irregular bleeding)
What are the systemic diseases and disorders that can cause HMB?
- Coagulation disorders (for example von Willebrand disease)
- Hypothyroidism (which may also present with fatigue, constipation, intolerance of cold, and hair and skin changes)
- Liver or renal disease
What are the iatrogenic causes of HMB?
- Anticoagulant treatment
- Herbal supplements (for example ginseng, ginkgo, and soya) — these may cause menstrual irregularities by altering oestrogen levels or coagulation parameters
- Intrauterine contraceptive device (CU IUD)
What is PALM COEIN?
•Pneumonic to remember the causes of HMB
P - polyp
A - adenomyosis
L - leiomyoma/fibroid
M - malignancy
C - coagulopathy O - ovulation dysfunction E - endometrium/hyperplasia I - iatrogenic N - not yet classified
What are fibroids?
- Non cancerous growths made of muscle and fibrous tissue
* Also called myoma or lieomyoma
What are the signs and symptoms of fibroids?
- May be asymptomatic
* Can cause HMB, pelvic pain, urinary symptoms, pressure symptoms, backache, infertility, miscarriage
How are fibroids managed?
- Management: Symptom based
- For HMB +/- small fibroids -COCP, POP, Mirena
- Large fibroids & fertility preservation desired - Fibroid embolisation, myomectomy
- Submucosal fibroids - Hysteroscopic fibroid resection (still myomectomy)
- Declined or failed medical treatment & fertility preservation not required -Hysterectomy
Fibroid embolisation - blocks off arteries to fibroid making them shrink
BASICALLLY: Hormones, fibroid embolisation, myomectomy or hysterectomy
What is endometriosis?
- Defined as endometrial tissue present outside the lining of uterus
- During menstruation this ectopic tissue behaves the same as endometrium and bleeds
- Affects women of reproductive age
- 1.5 million women in UK affected
How does endometriosis present?
- May present with HMB
- Most often pelvic pain
- Multi-system involvement
- Severely affects quality of life - can be devastating.
- In addition to pelvic symptoms, can cause infertility, fatigue and systemic symptoms
- Severity of deposits may not correspond with symptoms
- Painful menstrual cramps - worsening
- Lower back pain
- Abnormal bleeding/spotting between period
- Pain during and after sexual intercourse
- Painful bowel movements or urination
- Diarrhoea, nausea and bloating
What are the stages of endometriosis?
•Stage 1 (minimal)
- few superficial implants
- surface lesions or inflammation on or around organs in the pelvic cavity
•Stage 2 (mild)
-more widespread and starting to infiltrate pelvic organs
•Stage 3 (moderate)
- peritoneum or other structures
- sometimes also scarring and adhesion
•Stage 4 (severe)
- infiltrative and affecting many pelvic organs inc. ovaries
- often with distortion of the anatomy and adhesions