[Etiopathogenesis of dysmenorrhea]

Dysmenorrhea is a common and frequently disabling condition among women of childbearing age. Based on results of large epidemiological studies, it is estimated that over a half of the population of young women suffers from dysmenorrhea. In spite of such a high frequency of this condition, its literature. Pain and lower abdominal cramps are among the most common causes for gynecological referral. Dysmenorrhea is sometimes associated with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, headache, back pain, and dizziness. The exact cause of the disorder is not completely understood. However, there are many known factors that play significant roles in the pathogenesis of dysmenorrhea. The most important are: excessive uterine contractility, disturbances in uterine blood supply, synthesis of prostaglandins and anatomical abnormalities of the female reproductive tract. Primary dysmenorrhea refers to painful menstrual bleedings in the absence of any detectable underlying pathology. Secondary dysmenorrhea represents the clinical situation where menstrual pain can be related to an underlying disease, disorder, or structural abnormality either within or outside the uterus. Unexplained mechanisms and multiple factors involved in the pathogenesis of primary dysmenorrhea indicate a vivid need for further studies on this subject.