Uterine adenomyosis is a condition that causes heavy, painful periods. In people who have uterine adenomyosis, the uterus gets larger than normal. When the endometrial tissue (inner lining of the uterus) grows through and inside the myometrium (the muscle tissue of the uterus) then it is called adenomyosis. The displaced tissue continues to act normally-thickening, breaking down and bleeding – during each menstrual cycle.
Adenomyosis causes severe pain and heavy bleeding. There are different forms of the disease. It can be mild adenomyosis or focal adenomyosis. This form of the disease , mild adenomyosis or focal adenomyosis, only involves a portion of the uterus. In mild adenomyosis or focal adenomyosis the symptoms can be abdominal pain, mentruel cramps, infertility or heavy bleeding.
At ultrasound the thickened myometrial tissue or asymmetrical thickening of the myometrium is diagnostic for adenomyosis. If diagnosis of adenomyosis is not confirmed with ultrasound then MRI is needed. Adenomyosis often happens along with other problems that affect the uterus, especially endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition in which the kind of cells normally found only in the uterus starts to grow outside of the uterus.
Adenomyosis is one of the causes of abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) in advanced age women. Other symptoms include, painful periods and pain in the lower belly.
In women over 40 years of age, heavy uterine bleeding needs to evaluated. Different pathologies can cause heavy bleeding in women over 40 years of age. The malignant diseases have to be diagnosed first. If there is no malignant disease, then benign causes can be treated either medically or with surgery. Among the benign causes, adenomyosis is diagnosed by transvaginal ultrasound or by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
What causes adenomyosis is not clear, but the disease usually resolves after menopause. Risk factors for adenomyosis include: prior uterine surgery, such as C-section, fibroid removal, or dilatation and curettage (D&C), childbirth and middle age. Altough most cases of adenomyosis, which depends on estrogen, are found in women in their 40s and 50s. current research suggests that the condition might also be common in younger women.Adenomyosis in older women could relate to longer exposure to estrogen compared with that of younger women.
Adenomyosis Treatment
Adenomyosis needs to be treated to relieve the pain and to cure the heavy bleeding. Different types of oral hormone pills can be used as first line treatment. Levonorgestrel releasing intra-uterine device can be another option. An intrauterine device (IUD) is a small device that fits inside the uterus and is normally used to prevent pregnancy.
One type of IUD, which releases the hormone progestin, might help with the symptoms of adenomyosis. (IUDs must be placed in the uterus by a gynecologist.) GnRH analog treatment for short term can be used in adenomyosis cases with or without infertility. GnRH analog treatment causes your ovaries to stop making the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Birth control pills and pain-killers can be used to ease the pain of adenomyosis.
Adenomyosis Surgery
The only proven treatment for adenomyosis is surgery to remove the uterus, called a hysterectomy.
In women who completed their family and do not wish further pregnancies, hysterectomy can be an absolute cure. In cases with infertility local resection of the focal adenomyosis can be performed as surgical treatment. In infertile women with adenomyosis, hysteroscopy can be also be performed.
If you often have prolonged, heavy bleeding during your periods due to anemia, you can develop chronic anemia, which causes fatigue and other health problems. Although not harmful, the pain and excessive bleeding associated with adenomyosis can disrupt your lifestyle. You might avoid activities you’ve enjoyed in the past because you’re in pain or you worry that you might start bleeding.
Adenomyosis surgey prices in Turkey range from 3500 to 4000 dollars on average.
