O&G:Gynae Flashcards
What are fibroids also known as?
Uterine leiomyoma
What are fibroids?
Benign tumours of the myometrium
What are risk factors for fibroids?
- more common near the menopause
- early puberty
- afrocarribbean descent
- family history
What are protective factors for fibroids?
Parous women
Late puberty
Previous taking of COCP or injectable progesterone
Histology of fibroids
Smooth muscle and fibrous elements present
‘Whorled’ appearance in transverse section
Monoclonal origin
How are fibroids related to hormones?
Oestrogen (and probs progesterone) sensitive
- in pregnancy, equally likely to grow/shrink/stay the same
- in menopause, regress and calcify due to reduction in circulating oestrogen.
- HRT may cause growth
What are the possible sites for fibroids?
Intramural
Subserosal
Submucosal
Clinical features of fibroids
- asymptomatic 50%
- menorrhagia 30%
- intermenstrual bleeding
- pressure effects: frequency/urgency (bladder), hydronephrosis (ureter), infertility (tubal ostia)
- sub fertility: blocked tubal ostia, prevention of implantation, dysmenorrhea
Complications of fibroids
Painful if:
- torsion (bedunculated fibroid)
- degeneration (red, avascular necrosis)
- malignancy (more likely if pain, rapid growth, growth post menopausal + poor response to GnRH)
What are the pregnancy complications with fibroids?
- premature labour
- malpresentation
- PPH
- transverse lie
- obstructed labour
- red degeneration
Investigations of fibroids?
Abdo/bimanual pelvic exam
- solid mass arising from pelvis and continuous with uterus
- multiple small fibroids give: irregular ‘knobbly’ enlargement of uterus
TVUS/TAUS
MRI/laparoscopy if needed
Hysteroscopy to assess disortion of uterine cavity
FBC
- decrease if heavy bleeding
- increase as fibroids can secrete erythropoietin
What is the Mx for fibroids?
Asymptomatic + slow growing = none
Fibroids <3cm assoc with heavy bleeding
- TXA, NSAIDs, progesterone injections
- IUS or COCP
Fibroids >3cm assoc with heavy bleeding
- ulipristal acetate (progesterone-receptor modulator)
- GnRH agonists (induce temporary menopausal state, max 6month use)
- Mifepristone (anti progesterone - shrinks fibroids)
What are the SE of mifepristone?
Vasomotor Sx
Endometrial hyperplasia
What are the SE of GnRH agonists?
Bone density loss
What are the surgical Mx options for fibroids?
Hysteroscopic surgery Myomectomy Hysterectomy Uterine artery embolisation Myolysis
What are serous cystadenomas?
Papillary growths which may be so prolific the cyst looks solid
Get them aged 40-50yrs old
What are mucinous cystadeonmas?
Mucin filled and can become huge
20-40 yrs
What are teratomas?
Arising from germ cells
Young, premenstrual women
Can contain hair + teeth
What are benign solid tumours?
Fibromas
- can cause Meig’s syndrome: ascites + right pleural effusion
Thecomas
- secrete oestrogen and androgens
Adenofibromas
What are functional cysts?
Only in menstruating women (risk factor is early menarche)
Made up of:
- follicular cysts - persistently enlarged cysts
- leutien cysts - persistently enlarged corpora lutea
What are chocolate cysts?
Endometriomas caused by endometriosis
Accumulation of blood in the ovary (Dark-brown cyst)
What are symptoms of ovarian cysts?
- asymptomatic
- ache/pain of abdo + lower back
- dysparenuina
- large cysts have pressure effects
> bladder: urgency
> veins: oedema and varicostes - large cysts can cause abdo distension (dull to percuss)
What are complications of cysts?
Rupture
- fever, severe abdo pain, peritonitis, shock
Torsion
- fever, severe abdo pain
Hamorrhage + infarction
Pseudomyxome peritone: in mucinous cyst adenomas, mucinous cells disseminate and clog up pelvic viscera
How do you investigate cysts?
USS CT/MRI Laparoscopy + fine needle aspirate CA125 (rule out cancer) Pregnancy test (rule out pregnancy) Urinalysis (rule out infection)
Why is torsion an emergency?
blood supply cut off which leads to ischaemia, infarction and necrosis
What is polycystic ovarian syndrome?
Characteristic US appearance of multiple (>12), small (2-8mm) follicles in an enlarged ovary (>10ml volume)
What is the triad of PCOS?
- Polycystic ovaries on US
- Irregular periods
- Hirsutism
Pathophys of PCOS?
Affected women have raised LH and insulin which leads to raised ovarian androgen (testosterone) production.
Increased insulin causes increased adrenal androgen production + hepatic SHBG production = lots of free floating androgen
What is the effect of free floating androgens in PCOS?
Increased intra ovarian androgens lead to
- PCO
- Irregular/absent ovulation
Increased peripheral androgens lead to
- Hirsutism
What are clinical features of PCOS?
Obese Acne Excess body hair Oligo/amenorrhea Miscarriage
What is diagnostic criteria for PCOS?
2 or more of:
- PCO
- Irregular periods (>5 weeks apart)
- Hirsutism (clinical or biochemical)
Investigations for PCOS?
Bloods
- FSH: raised in ovarian failure, decreased in hypothalamic disease, normal in PCOS
- Prolactin: normal in PCOS, used to exclude prolactinaemia
- TSH: normal in PCOS
- Serum tesosterone: raised
- LH: raised but not diagnostic
TVUS
- shows PCO
Fasting lipids + glucose
- screen for complications (T2DM, Gestational diabetes + endometrial cancer)
What is the Mx for PCOS?
- Obese patients: lose weight
- COCP: regulates menstruation and treats hirsutism
- Clomifene or tamoxifen: oestrogen receptor modulators to regulate hormones and lead to ovulation
- Metformin: treats hirsutism
- Ovarian diathermy: regulates ovulation for years
- Ovulation induction with gonadotrophins
What is adenomyosis?
The presence of ectopic endometrial tissue and underlying stromatolites within the myometrium
What is the hormone relationship with adenomyosis?
Oestrogen dependent. Endometrium grows into the myometrium, pockets of menstrual blood can be seen n the myometrium if severe.
What are the symptoms of adenomyosis?
- Asymptomatic
- Painful, regular, heavy menstruation
What are the signs of adenomyosis?
Mildly enlarged, tender uterus
How do you diagnose adenomyosis?
MRI
Histology on hysterectomy
Treatment of adenomyosis?
Medical: Progesterone IUS, COCP +/- NSAIDs or a GNRH agonist trial.
Surgical: Hysterectomy.
What is a intrauterine polyp?
Small benign tumours that grow into uterine cavities, usually endometrial in origin, sometimes submucosal fibroid origin.
Pathophysiology of polyps?
They arise a result of disordered cycles of apoptosis and regrowth of the endometrium. The fibrous tissue core is covered by columnar epithelium.
What is the clinical presentation of polyps?
- Asymptomatic
- Menorrhagia
- IMB
- Occasional prolapses through cervix
Diagnosis of polyps?
- Ultrasound
- Hysteroscopy
Management of polyps?
- Resection w/ cutting diathermy
- Avulsion
What are congenital uterine abnormalities?
Result from differing degrees of failure of fusion of mullerian ducts at about 9 weeks. Increased risk of renal abnormalities.
What are the pregnancy complications of congenital uterine abnormalities?
- Malpresentaion
- Transverse lie
- Preterm labour
- Retained placenta
- Recurrent miscarriage
Management of congenital uterine abnormalities?
- Surgical
- Hysteroscopy for simple septa
- Redimentary horns removed
What is endometriosis?
Presence of endometrium like tissue found outside the uterus, usually within the peritoneal cavity.
What is the hormonal affect in endometriosis?
Oestrogen dependent
Regresses during pregnancy and after menopasue
Bleeds at menstruation
Common sites for endometriosis?
- Pouch of douglas (uterosacral ligament)
- On/behind ovaries
What are the causes of endometriosis?
Most common:
- Retrograde menstruation (sampsons theory)
Other:
- Extra-peritoneal endometriosis (eg. umbilical scar) Halbans theory. + embolisation
- Metaplasia
What are the clinical features of endometriosis?
- Asymptomatic
- Chronic pelvic pain –> constant or cyclic
- Severe dysmenorrhoea
- Dysparaeunia
- Dysuria
- Infertility
- Dyschezia –> during menses
- Acute pain, when there is rupture of choco cyst
Who does endometriosis normally affect?
Young, low parity women
Why is pouch of douglas affected in endometriosis?
Has endometrium tissue, is damaged on sex, causing dyspareunia.
Signs of severe disease in endometriosis?
- Cyclical haematuria
- Rectal bleeding
- Umbilicus bleeding
What do you see on scan for endometrioma?
- Blue cyst
What is frozen pelvis?
When all pelvic organs are immoblised by adhesions, due to pelvic inflammation and progressive fibrosis due to endometriosis.
What are the investigations of endometriosis?
Gold standard: Laparoscopy and biopsy Vaginal exam: - tenderness - thickening behind uterus or in adnexa - nodules in posterior vaginal fornix or uterosacral ligament - rectovaginal nodules - fixed retroverted uterus (2dary to adhesions) USS: - to visualise chocolate cysts MRI: - if adenomyosis suspected
When is laparoscopy indicated in endometriosis?
When there is NSAID resistant lower abdo pain
Pain is causing days off work ad hospitalisation.
Pain and infertility
Treatment of endometriosis?
Medical: - COCP - Medroxyprogesterone acetate - GnRH analogues - Levenorgesterone releasing IUD - Donazol - Aromatase inhibitors Surgery: - Lesions are destroyed on laparoscopy if consented - Disection of adhesions - Hysterectomy - Salpingoopherectomy
What treatment aboloshises cyclicity?
COCP (triphasic, fixed dose) GnRH analogues (60-90min pulses)
What treatment causes glandular atrophy?
Oral progesterone
Depot provera
Mirena
Risks of GnRh?
Prolonged treatment necessary
HRT add-back therapy to prevent BMD decrease and prevent menpause sx.
What is the most common genital tract cancer?
Endometrial cancer
- prevalence highest at age 60yrs
- only 15% occurs pre-menopausal
- <1% in women <35 yrs
What are the different types of endometrial cancer?
1) Adenocarcinoma of columnar endometrial gland cells (>90%)
2) Adenosquamous CA (poorer prognosis, most common of the rest)
3) Endometrial hyperplasia (pre-malignant condition)
What are the risk factors for endometrial cancer?
Exogenous oestrogen
- unopposed oestrogen therapy
- tamoxifen (oestrogen antagonistic breast, but agonist in pros-menopausal uterus)
Endogenous oestrogen excess
- PCOS with prolonged amenorrhea
- obesity
- nulliparity
- late menopause
- ovarian granuloma cell tumours (secrete oestrogen)
Other:
- T2DM
- Lynch type II syndrome
- HNPCC
- Pelvic irradiation
What is a protective factor for endometrial cancer?
COCP
What are the symptoms for endometrial cancer?
- Postmenopausal bleeding ***
- If premenopausal: irregular bleeding/IMB, sometimes recent onset menorrhagia
What are the signs of endometrial cancer?
- Atrophic vaginitis
- Abnormal columnar cells on cervical smear
- Pelvis: often normal
How do you investigate endometrial cancer?
TVUS Endometrial biopsy Pipelle/hysteroscopic biopsy + histology MRI (if spread suspected or high risk biopsy) CXR (exclude rare pulmonary spread)
What are the indications for endometrial biopsy if suspecting endometrial cancer?
Endometrium >4mm thick on TVUS if postmenopausal
Endometrium >10mm thick on TVUS if premenopausal
What are some causes of PMB?
Endometrial cancer Endometrial hyperplasia Cervical carcinoma Atrophic vaginitis Cervical polyps Ovarian carcinoma Cervicitis
What is the Mx for endometrial cancer?
Stage 1: hysterectomy + bilateralsalpingoopherectomy
Stage 2:
- radical hysterectomy with system pelvic node clearance
- alternative: hysterectomy + adjuvant therapy
Stage 3/4: maximum bulking surgery, combo chemo, radio + surgery
What are the indications for radiotherapy in endometrial cancer?
- High risk for extrauterine disease (poor grade, deep myocetrial/cervical stroll spread)
- Proven extrauterine disease
- Inoperable/recurrent disease
- Palliation for Sx (e.g bleeding)
- Surgery not poss (e.g. meds CI)
Describe the stages of endometrial cancer
Stage 1: lesions confined to uterus
1a: <1/2 of myometrial invasion
1b: >1/2 of myocetrial invasion
Stage 2: as above but in cervix swell
(Cevrical stromal invasion, but not beyond uterus)
Stage 3: tumour invades through uterus
3a: invades serosa or adnexa
3b: vaginal and/or parametrial involvement
3ci: pelvic node involvement
3cii: para-aortic involvement
Stage 4: further spread
4a: in bowel or bladder
4b: distant mets
Where is the most common site for endometrial cancer recurrence?
At the vaginal vault (in first 3 years)
- treated with vaginal vault radiotherapy
What is haematometra?
Menstrual blood accumulating in the uterus because of the outflow obstruction.
What causes haematometra?
- Cervical canal usually occluded by fibrosis after endometrial resection, cone biopsy or carcinoma
- Congenital abnormalities (e.g. imperforate hymen or blind rudimentary uterine horn) present in adolescence as primary amenorrhoea
What is endometritis?
Infection of the uterus but commonly spreads to the pelvis if left untreated
What causes endometritis?
- instrumentation of the uterus
- complication of pregnancy
Therefore is common after c-section and miscarriage.
What organisms can cause endometritis?
Chlamydia, gonococcus, e.coli, staphylococci, clostridia
What are the clinical features of endometritis?
persistent, heavy vaginal bleeding + pain
(+maybe fever initially)
> tender uterus
cervical os = open
What are the Ix for endometritis?
Vaginal + cervical swabs
FBC
Pelvic US
What is the Tx of endometritis?
Broad-spec Abx
What are the different uterine sarcomas?
1) Leiomyosarcomas
2) Endometrial stromal tumours
3) Mixed mullein tumours
What are leiomyosarcomas?
Malignant fibroids (rapid painful enlargement of a fibroid)
What are endometrial stromal tumours?
Tumours of the storm beneath the endometrium
- vary histologically from benign nodules to malignant sarcoma
Most common in perimenopausal women
What are mixed mullein tumours?
Derived from embryological elements of the uterus
More common in older age
Present with: irregular/IMB or rapid painful enlargement of a fibroid
Tx: hysterectomy
What can cause carcinoma of the vulva?
- Lichen sclerosis
- Vulval intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN)
What is vulval intraepithelial neoplasia?
Premalignant disease assoc with HPV.
- pruitus + pain
- benefits from emollients + topical steroids
- Gold standard: local surgical excision + histology to exclude cancer
What are the types of vuval cancer?
Squamous cell carcinoma (95%)
Malignant melanoma
Bartholin’s gland
Paget’s disease
What are the Sx of vuval cancer?
- vulval itching + soreness
- ulcer/mass on labia major/clitoris
- dysuria
- bleeding
- discharge