Radhika Gollapudi1, Aruna Prayaga2
BACKGROUND
Abnormal uterine bleeding is defined as any bleeding not conforming to the normal cyclical pattern as well as to the normal amount and frequency of menstrual cycle. Abnormal uterine bleeding can occur due to gynaecological as well as medical causes. Gynaecological causes include organic and nonorganic factors. It has various clinical presentations such as menorrhagia, polymenorrhagia, metrorrhagia and intermenstrual bleeding. Dilatation and Curettage (D and C) is a safe and effective outpatient procedure performed in patients with AUB. It provides endometrial tissue for examination of histological variations of endometrium thus guiding in further management.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This is a retrospective study of patients presenting with AUB over a period of one year (2015-2016) done in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at a tertiary care hospital. 89 patients with complaints of AUB attributable to isolated endometrial cause were included in the study. Patients with AUB due to vaginal, cervical causes, leiomyomas, adnexal pathology, medical causes and complications of pregnancy were excluded from the study. A structured proforma regarding the patient’s complaints, pattern of bleeding, medical, surgical history and a general systemic and pelvic examination was used to evaluate all patients.
RESULTS
Among all the patients who presented with AUB during the study period, 89 patients were identified to have isolated endometrial pathology as a cause of abnormal uterine bleeding. In our study, age of patients presenting with AUB ranged from 24 years to 70 years. AUB was most commonly seen in the age group of 41-50 years (42.6%). Menorrhagia in 32.5% was the most common presentation of AUB. The commonest histopathological finding was proliferative phase endometrium (25.84%) followed by secretory phase endometrium (19.1%). Hyperplasia was observed in 19.1%, which included simple hyperplasia (6.74%), complex hyperplasia without atypia in 2.24% of women and complex hyperplasia with atypia in 10.11%. Glandular stromal dissociation and endometrial polyp each were observed in 7.86% of patients. Disordered proliferative endometrium was observed in 4.49% of patients. Chronic endometritis was seen in 4.5% of cases, which included 2.2% of tuberculous endometritis. Endometrial carcinoma was observed in 2.24% of patients.
CONCLUSIONS
Organic causes of AUB vary according to the age group. Endometrial sampling by D and C is a simple, reliable outpatient procedure to diagnose endometrial lesions. Histopathological examination of the obtained material during the procedure can help in diagnosing the proliferative lesions at an early stage and subsequent treatment preventing its further progression.
