Differential diagnosis of abnormal uterine bleeding

The causes of abnormal uterine bleeding include a wide spectrum of diseases of the reproductive system and nongynecologic causes as well. The differential diagnosis of abnormal excessive uterine bleeding includes organic causes that may be subdivided into reproductive tract disease, iatrogenic causes, and systemic disease. Reproductive tract disease that may result in abnormal uterine bleeding comprises the complications of pregnancy (threatened, incomplete, or missed abortion, ectopic pregnancy, trophoblastic disease, placental polyp, and subinvolution of the placental site), malignant tumors (endometrial, cervical, vaginal, vulvar, and oviduct malignancies and granulosa theca cell ovarian tumors), infection (endometritis, salpingitis), and other benign pelvic disorders (traumatic lesions of the vagina, severe vaginal infections, foreign bodies, cervical polyps, cervical erosion, cervicitis, submucous uterine leiomyomas, adenomyosis, endometriosis, and endometrial polyps). Iatrogenic causes of abnormal uterine bleeding include sex steroids, hypothalamic depressants, digitalis, phenytoin, anticoagulants, and intrauterine contraceptive devices. Systemic diseases that may cause abnormal uterine bleeding include hypothyroidism, cirrhosis, and coagulation disorders. Abnormal uterine bleeding that occurs in a woman of reproductive age should be considered the result of complication of pregnancy until proved otherwise. Abnormal uterine bleeding occurring in a woman of perimenopausal or postmenopausal age should be considered the result of a malignancy until proved otherwise. Menorrhagia occurring in an adolescent should be attributed to a coagulopathy until proved otherwise. When an organic cause of abnormal uterine bleeding cannot be found, then by exclusion the diagnosis of dysfunctional uterine bleeding is assumed. Coagulation disorders, particularly von Willebrand disease, are more common than many physicians realize. Women with a history of high-risk factors, all adolescents with menorrhagia, women with anovulatory dysfunctional uterine bleeding who fail medical or surgical therapy, and women with ovulatory dysfunctional uterine bleeding without an anatomic uterine lesion should be screened for a coagulopathy.