Advances in the Treatment of Menstrual Disorders

Menorrhagia accounts for 40% of all hysterectomies. Randomised controlled trials indicate that the most effective treatments are progestogen-releasing intrauterine devices, tranexamic acid and danazol. Surgery is required to treat women with menorrhagia who do not respond to, or cannot tolerate, drug therapy. Dysmenorrhoea can be treated with a range of measures, from massage and simple analgesics to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antioestrogens and surgery. Hysterectomy is occasionally performed for severe menstrual pain that cannot be controlled by a variety of treatments. (author abstract)