O+G 2 Flashcards
What positions can the uterus lie? What proportions lie in each position?
Up towards abdo wall (anteverted) 80%
Back into pelvis (retroverted) 20%
Which cell type lines the uterus?
Glandular epithelium (endometrium)
Which ligament is lateral to the uterus?
broad ligament
Uterine blood supply
Uterine arteries (cross ureters) Ovarian arteries (anastamose at cornu)
What do fibroids arise from? What’s another name for fibroids?
Myometrium
Leiomyomata (benign tumours)
Incidence of fibroids
20% of white and around 50% of black women
Risk factors for fibroids
- Older women (peri-menopausal)
- Afro-Caribbean
- Family history
Protective:
- Parous women
- women who have taken COCP or injectable progestogens
Symptoms of fibroids
- 50% none
- menorrhagia 30%
- erratic/bleeding (IMB)
- pressure effects (urinary symptoms)
- subfertility if tubal ostia are blocked or submucous fibroids prevent implantation
- lower abdominal pain: cramping pains, often during menstruation or if tortion or degeneration
Complications of fibroids
- tortion of pedunculated fibroid
- degenerations (red (partic in pregnancy), hyaline/cystic, calcification in postmenopausal)
- malignancy 0.1% leiomyosarcoma
Investigations for fibroids
- FBC (low from blood loss but can be high as fibroids can secrete EPO)
- hysteroscopy (to assess uterine cavity distortion especially if fertility an issue)
- TVUS
- MRI or laparoscopy if diagnosis unsure
Complications of fibroids during pregnancy
- premature labour
- malpresentations
- transverse lie
- obstructed labour
- PPH
- red degeneration
- pedunculated fibroids may tort postpartum
Don not remove during c-section as can cause heavy bleeding
What are fibroids dependent on?
Oestrogen
Management for fibroids
Observe or
Conservative (medical)
- symptomatic management with a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system is recommended by CKS first-line
- other options include tranexamic acid, combined oral contraceptive pill, NSAIDs
- GnRH agonists may reduce the size of the fibroid but are typically useful for short-term treatment. side effects limit use to 6 months
Surgical:
- myomectomy (if medical treatment has failed or want to preserve fertility). Do open as laproscopic is harder to excise. 2-3 months of GnRH analogues shrink fibroid and reduce vascularity.
- hysterectomy. 2-3 months of GnRH agonist allows less invasive operation
- hysteroscopic transcervical resection of fibroid (TCRF). If fibroid is a polyp or small (up to 3cm) submucous if causing menstrual/fertility problems. Pretreatment with GnRH agonist for 1-2 months first shrink fibroid
- hysterscopic endometrial ablation. safety and efficacy not determined
- uterine artery embolization (UAE). 80% success rate
How do you reduce blood loss during a myomectomy?
Peroperative injection of vasopressin directly into the myometrium
Indications for c-section post myomectomy
- endometrial cavity opened during procedure
- multiple or large fibroids
Reason is that there is an increase risk of uterine rupture during labour
What normally happens to BP during pregnancy?
- falls to a minimum level in 2nd trimester (approx 30/15 mmHg) due to reduced vascular resistance
- happens to both normotensive and hypertensive mums
- rises to normal by term
What happens to protein excretion during pregnancy?
Rises but shouldn’t go beyond 0.3g/24 hours
What’s PIH?
Pregnancy induced hypertension
BP above 140/90 mmHg after 20 weeks
Features of pre-eclampsia
- BP above 140/90 mmHg
- Proteinuria (>0.3 g/24h)
- second half of pregnancy
often with oedema
What is pre-existing or chronic hypertension?
BP more than 140/90 mmHG before pregnancy or before 20 weeks
If a woman has hypretension what is the additional risk of pre-eclampsia?
6 times
Causative organ of pre-eclampsia
Placenta disease
Cured by delivery
Pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia
Stage 1
- incomplete trophoblastic invasion (normally trophoblast invades spiral arteries and causes vasodilation of vessel walls) and acute artherosis (spiral arterioles may contain atheromatous lesions)->
- reduced spiral artery flow ->
- reduced uteroplacental blood flow (causes an abnormal uterine artery waveform) ->
- exaggerated inflammatory response ->
Stage 2
- endothelial cell damage ->:
- increased vascular permeability (oedema and proteinuria)
- vasoconstriction (hypertension, eclampsia, liver damage)
- clotting abnormality
What proportion of women get pre-eclampsia?
- 6% of nulliparous women
- less common in multiparous women unless other risk factors
- 15% recurrence rate (upto 50% if there has been severe pre-eclampsia before 28 weeks)