Treatment of Menorrhagia

In: Prostaglandins and the Uterus · 1992 · pp. 67–87 · doi:10.1007/978-1-4471-1931-9_5 · W96156031
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This chapter discusses menorrhagia as excessive menstrual blood loss, distinguishing between clinical diagnosis and objective research measurements of blood loss.

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This chapter reviews how menorrhagia is defined clinically versus in objective research measurements, noting that excessive bleeding is commonly reported by patients but correlates poorly with measured menstrual blood loss thresholds such as >80 ml per cycle. It discusses the difficulty of objective confirmation of heavy bleeding in routine practice and therefore contrasts broader clinical diagnosis with narrower research definitions. The chapter also surveys related evidence and therapeutic approaches that target uterine prostaglandin pathways and other mechanisms, reflecting the role of prostaglandins in menstrual bleeding. A major limitation is that the clinical and research definitions are not uniform, complicating interpretation and comparison across studies, particularly when patient-reported heaviness is used. Relevance to endometriosis: the chapter cites prostanoid concentration in women with endometriosis and includes background on prostaglandins and endometrial/endometriosis biology, though it is centrally about treatment and measurement issues in menorrhagia rather than endometriosis itself.

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Abstract

Menorrhagia is the loss of excessive amounts of blood at the time of menstruation. Definitions are far from precise, and there is little agreement on exact usage among clinicians from different centres. Here the term is used to mean a complaint of excessively heavy bleeding irrespective of its regularity or frequency. Objective confirmation of excessive bleeding in clinical practice is difficult, and numerous studies have demonstrated that there is little correlation between a complaint of heavy bleeding and research measurements of a loss of greater than 80 ml per menstrual period [1–4]. This chapter will attempt to take into account the difference between the broadly accepted clinical diagnosis and the narrower objective research definition. Preview Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF. Similar content being viewed by others

References

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In: Drife, J.O., Calder, A.A. (eds) Prostaglandins and the Uterus. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-1931-9_5 Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-1931-9_5 Publisher Name: Springer, London Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-1933-3 Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-1931-9 eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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