Vascular changes in traumatic amenorrhea and hypomenorrhea

Pelvic angiography was performed in 12 cases of amenorrhea and hypomenorrhea which developed following curettage of abortion and in the puerperium. Six cases of similar age and obstetric history with normal menstrual cycles served as control. Pelvic angiography revealed widespread vascular occlusion of myometrial arteries, in seven of the twelve cases. These findings account for the small amount of endometrium removed on diagnostic curettage in these cases as well as the greatly reduced menstrual loss. The poor obstetric history of the cases studied may well be due to this excessive vascular damage.