Prostaglandins in Dysmenorrhoea and Endometriosis

Dysmenorrhoea is derived from Greek, meaning difficult monthly flow, but is now usually taken to mean painful menstruation. It may occur secondary to an unrelated group of pelvic pathologies such as pelvic inflammatory disease, uterine abnormality, uterine leiomyomata or endometriosis or it may be idiopathic in origin. Dysmenorrhoea is a symptom complex consisting of cramping lower abdominal pain which is worst at the onset of the menses and is often accompanied by gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and urological symptoms. It may cause incapacity lasting some days particularly if preceded by the premenstrual syndrome. Primary and secondary dysmenorrhoea differ slightly in their symptomatology but it is often difficult to distinguish between the two on history and examination alone. Primary dysmenorrhoea is much commoner in teenagers than that associated with endometriosis which tends to occur around ten to fifteen years later. The pathogenesis of the former has been reasonably well worked out and it is also amenable to treatment. Endometriosis is a complex condition and it is now uncertain that it actually causes the symptoms with which it has been traditionally associated. This problem will be discussed in detail below. Preview Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF. Similar content being viewed by others

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(eds) Prostaglandins and the Uterus. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-1931-9_4 Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-1931-9_4 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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