O+G 1 Flashcards
What’s puberty?
Onset of sexual maturity, development of secondary sex characteristics
What’s menarche? When does it occur
Onset of menstruation
Average age 13
When does GnRH get released?
From age 8
What does GnRH do?
Stimulates release of FSH and then LH (stimulate oestrogen release from ovaries)
LH
Luteinizing hormone
Term used for breast development. When does it occur
Thelarche. 9-11 years
Term used for growth of pubic hair. When does it occur?
Adrenarche. 11-12 years
By what age to the epiphyses fuse
16
Days 1-4 of the menstruation cycle is known as what? What happens during this phase?
Menstruation
- Endometrium is shed
- Myometrial contraction which can be painful
Days 5-13 of the menstruation cycle is known as what? What happens during this phase?
Proliferative phase
- GnRH (hypothalamus) stimulate LH and FSH release
- follicular growth
- follicles produce oestradiol and inhibin which suppress FSH secretion (negative feedback) so only one follicle/oocyte matures
- oestradiol levels continue to rise to maximum levels. now a positive feedback causing an LH surge.
- ovulation follows 36 hours after LH surge
- oestradiol causes the endometrium to reform and proliferate (it thickens as the stromal cells proliferate and the glands elongate)
Days 14-28 of the menstruation cycle is known as what? What happens during this phase?
Luteal/secretory phase
- follicle from release egg becomes corpus luteum
- corpus luteum produces oestradiol and progesterone which causes secretory changes in the endometrium
- glands swell and blood supply increases
- if no fertilisation corpus luteum starts to fail
progesterone and oestrogen levels fall
When does progesterone peak?
Day 21 of a 28 day cycle
Normal menarche occurs below what age?
16
Normal menopause occurs after what age?
45
Normal menstruation is less than how many days?
8 days in length
Normal menstrual blood loss is less than?
80ml
Normal cycle length
23-35 days
What does IMB stand for?
intermenstrual bleeding
Define menorrhagia
heavy menstrual bleeding
Clinical definition: excessive bleeding that interferes with a woman’s physical, emotional, social and material quality of life
Objective definition: blood loss >80 ml
Define irregular periods
Periods outside the range of 23-35 days with a variability of >7 days between the shortest and longest cycle
What is post coital bleeding?
Bleeding after intercourse
What is primary amenorrhoea?
Periods never started
What is secondary amenorrhoea?
Periods stop for 6 months or more
What is oligomenorrhoea?
Infrequent periods (>35 days-6 months)
What is postmenopausal bleeding?
Bleeding 1 year after the menopause
What does dysmenorrhoea mean?
Painful periods
What is premenstrual syndrome?
Psychological and physical symptoms worse in the luteal phase
Epidemiology of HMB
1/3 of women but most don’t seek medical help
Aetiology of HMB
Most unknown
30% uterine fibroids
10% polyps
Endometrial and cervical carcinoma
Adenomyosis
PID
Ovarian tumour
Rare:
- thyroid disease
- haemostatic disorders (von Willebrand’s disease, anticoagulant therapy)
Causes of irregular bleeding
- chronic pelvic infection
- ovarian tumours
- endometrial and cervical malignancy
Investigations for menorrhagia
- Hb checked
- coagulation and thyroid function tests (to exclude systemic causes if history is suggestive of it)
- transvaginal US to assess endometrial thickness, exclude uterine fibroid or ovarian mass and detect larger intrauterine polyps.
When would you do an endometrial biopsy (pipelle biopsy or hysteroscopy)?
- endometrial thickness >10mm
- polyp is suspected
- > 40 years old with recent onset menorrhagia or also has IMB or has not responded to treatment
preterm-PROM with a triad of maternal pyrexia, maternal tachycardia, and fetal tachycardia
Chorioamnionitis
Treatment of severe chorioamnionitis at 37 weeks
IV antibiotics and c-section
Incidence of chorioamnionitis
5%
Cause of chorioamnionitis
Ascending bacterial infection of the amniotic fluid / membranes / placenta
A 28-year-old pregnant woman with pre-eclampsia suffered an eclamptic seizure at 11 am yesterday. She was started on magnesium, the baby was delivered an hour later at midday, but she had another eclamptic seizure at 2 pm. She has been well since then, as is the baby. When should the magnesium infusion be stopped?
Magnesium treatment should continue for 24 hours after delivery or after last seizure
Define pre-eclampsia
- condition seen after 20 weeks gestation
- pregnancy-induced hypertension
- proteinuria
When should magnesium sulphate be used?
To both:
- prevent seizures in patients with severe pre-eclampsia
- treat seizures once they develop.
Guidelines on its use suggest the following:
- should be given once a decision to deliver has been made
- in eclampsia an IV bolus of 4g over 5-10 minutes should be given followed by an infusion of 1g / hour
- urine output, reflexes, respiratory rate and oxygen saturations should be monitored during treatment
- treatment should continue for 24 hours after last seizure or delivery (around 40% of seizures occur post-partum)
Other important aspects of treating severe pre-eclampsia/eclampsia include fluid restriction to avoid the potentially serious consequences of fluid overload
Epidemiology of endometrial cancer
classically seen in post-menopausal women but around 25% of cases occur before the menopause.
It usually carries a good prognosis due to early detection
Risk factors for endometrial cancer
- obesity
- nulliparity
- early menarche
- late menopause
- unopposed oestrogen. The addition of a progestogen to oestrogen reduces this risk (e.g. In HRT). The BNF states that the additional risk is eliminated if a progestogen is given continuously
- diabetes mellitus
- tamoxifen
- polycystic ovarian syndrome
*the oral contraceptive pill is protective
Features of endometrial cancer
- post-menopausal bleeding is the classic symptom
- pre-menopausal women may have a change intermenstrual bleeding
- pain and discharge are unusual features
Investigations for endometrial cancer
- first-line investigation is trans-vaginal ultrasound - a normal endometrial thickness (< 4 mm) has a high negative predictive value
- hysteroscopy with endometrial biopsy
Management of endometrial cancer
- localised disease is treated with total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy.
- Patients with high-risk disease may have post-operative radiotherapy
- progestogen therapy is sometimes used in frail elderly women not consider suitable for surgery
AFP increase associated with…
- Neural tube defects (meningocele, myelomeningocele and anencephaly)
- Abdominal wall defects (omphalocele and gastroschisis)
- Multiple pregnancy
AFP decrease associated with…
- Down’s syndrome
- Trisomy 18
- Maternal diabetes mellitus