Find information on thousands of medical conditions and prescription drugs.

Asherman's syndrome

Asherman's syndrome, also called "uterine synechiae", presents a condition characterized by the presence of scars within the uterine cavity. more...

Home
Diseases
A
Aagenaes syndrome
Aarskog Ose Pande syndrome
Aarskog syndrome
Aase Smith syndrome
Aase syndrome
ABCD syndrome
Abdallat Davis Farrage...
Abdominal aortic aneurysm
Abdominal cystic...
Abdominal defects
Ablutophobia
Absence of Gluteal muscle
Acalvaria
Acanthocheilonemiasis
Acanthocytosis
Acarophobia
Acatalasemia
Accessory pancreas
Achalasia
Achard syndrome
Achard-Thiers syndrome
Acheiropodia
Achondrogenesis
Achondrogenesis type 1A
Achondrogenesis type 1B
Achondroplasia
Achondroplastic dwarfism
Achromatopsia
Acid maltase deficiency
Ackerman syndrome
Acne
Acne rosacea
Acoustic neuroma
Acquired ichthyosis
Acquired syphilis
Acrofacial dysostosis,...
Acromegaly
Acrophobia
Acrospiroma
Actinomycosis
Activated protein C...
Acute febrile...
Acute intermittent porphyria
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Acute lymphocytic leukemia
Acute mountain sickness
Acute myelocytic leukemia
Acute myelogenous leukemia
Acute necrotizing...
Acute promyelocytic leukemia
Acute renal failure
Acute respiratory...
Acute tubular necrosis
Adams Nance syndrome
Adams-Oliver syndrome
Addison's disease
Adducted thumb syndrome...
Adenoid cystic carcinoma
Adenoma
Adenomyosis
Adenosine deaminase...
Adenosine monophosphate...
Adie syndrome
Adrenal incidentaloma
Adrenal insufficiency
Adrenocortical carcinoma
Adrenogenital syndrome
Adrenoleukodystrophy
Aerophobia
Agoraphobia
Agrizoophobia
Agyrophobia
Aicardi syndrome
Aichmophobia
AIDS
AIDS Dementia Complex
Ainhum
Albinism
Albright's hereditary...
Albuminurophobia
Alcaptonuria
Alcohol fetopathy
Alcoholic hepatitis
Alcoholic liver cirrhosis
Alektorophobia
Alexander disease
Alien hand syndrome
Alkaptonuria
Alliumphobia
Alopecia
Alopecia areata
Alopecia totalis
Alopecia universalis
Alpers disease
Alpha 1-antitrypsin...
Alpha-mannosidosis
Alport syndrome
Alternating hemiplegia
Alzheimer's disease
Amaurosis
Amblyopia
Ambras syndrome
Amelogenesis imperfecta
Amenorrhea
American trypanosomiasis
Amoebiasis
Amyloidosis
Amyotrophic lateral...
Anaphylaxis
Androgen insensitivity...
Anemia
Anemia, Diamond-Blackfan
Anemia, Pernicious
Anemia, Sideroblastic
Anemophobia
Anencephaly
Aneurysm
Aneurysm
Aneurysm of sinus of...
Angelman syndrome
Anguillulosis
Aniridia
Anisakiasis
Ankylosing spondylitis
Ankylostomiasis
Annular pancreas
Anorchidism
Anorexia nervosa
Anosmia
Anotia
Anthophobia
Anthrax disease
Antiphospholipid syndrome
Antisocial personality...
Antithrombin deficiency,...
Anton's syndrome
Aortic aneurysm
Aortic coarctation
Aortic dissection
Aortic valve stenosis
Apert syndrome
Aphthous stomatitis
Apiphobia
Aplastic anemia
Appendicitis
Apraxia
Arachnoiditis
Argininosuccinate...
Argininosuccinic aciduria
Argyria
Arnold-Chiari malformation
Arrhythmogenic right...
Arteriovenous malformation
Arteritis
Arthritis
Arthritis, Juvenile
Arthrogryposis
Arthrogryposis multiplex...
Asbestosis
Ascariasis
Aseptic meningitis
Asherman's syndrome
Aspartylglycosaminuria
Aspergillosis
Asphyxia neonatorum
Asthenia
Asthenia
Asthenophobia
Asthma
Astrocytoma
Ataxia telangiectasia
Atelectasis
Atelosteogenesis, type II
Atherosclerosis
Athetosis
Atopic Dermatitis
Atrial septal defect
Atrioventricular septal...
Atrophy
Attention Deficit...
Autoimmune hepatitis
Autoimmune...
Automysophobia
Autonomic dysfunction
Familial Alzheimer disease
Senescence
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Medicines

Features

The cavity of the uterus is lined by the endometrium. This lining can be traumatized, typically after a dilation and curettage (D&C) done after a miscarriage, abortion, or delivery, and then develops intrauterine scars which can obliterate the cavity to a varying degree. In the extreme, the whole cavity has been scarred and occluded. Even with relatively few scars, the endometrium may fail to respond to estrogens and rests. The patient experiences secondary amenorrhea and becomes infertile. An artificial form of Asherman's syndrome can be surgically induced by uterine ablation in women with uterine bleeding problems in lieu of hysterectomy.

Diagnosis

The history of a pregnancy event followed by a D&C leading to seconday amenorrhea is typical. Imaging by gynecologic ultrasonography or hysterosalpingography will reveal the extent of the scar formation. Hormone studies show normal levels consistent with reproductive function.

Ultrasound is not a reliable method of diagnosing Asherman's Syndrome. Options include HSG (hysterosalpingography) or SHG (sonohysterography). Hysteroscopy is the most reliable. The website at www.ashermans.org gives more detail.

Treatment

Operative hysteroscopy is used for visual inspection of the uterine cavity and dissection of scar tissue.

Prognosis

The extent of scar formation is critical. Small scars can usually be treated with success. Extensive obliteration of the uterine cavity may require several surgical interventions or even be uncorrectable. Patients who carry a pregnancy after correction of Asherman's syndrome may have an increased risk of having a placenta that invades the uterus more deeply, leading to complications in placental separation after delivery.

History

It is also known as Fritsch syndrome, or Fritsch-Asherman syndrome per the individuals who described it, Heinrich Fritsch and Joseph G. Asherman.

Read more at Wikipedia.org


[List your site here Free!]


ACOG Opinion Paper on Placenta Accreta - American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee on Obstetric Practice
From American Family Physician, 5/1/02 by Monica Preboth

The Committee on Obstetric Practice of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has issued an opinion paper on placenta accreta. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 266 appears in the January 2002 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

According to the ACOG opinion paper, placenta accreta occurs when there is a defect of the decidua basalis, resulting in abnormally invasive implantation of the placenta. The incidence of placenta accreta has increased 10-fold in the past 50 years, to a current frequency of 1 per 2,500 deliveries. It has a 7 percent mortality rate as well as intraoperative and postoperative morbidity associated with massive blood transfusions, infection, ureteral damage, and fistula formation.

Risk factors for placenta accreta include placenta previa with or without previous uterine surgery, previous myomectomy, previous cesarean delivery, Asherman's syndrome, submucous leiomyomata, and maternal age of 36 years and older. When any of these conditions are present, the physician should maintain high clinical suspicion for placenta accreta and take the appropriate precautions.

The ACOG committee recommends the use of ultrasonography for diagnosis during the antepartum period. Evidence also indicates that magnetic resonance imaging and color Doppler studies can be useful in defining an abnormally implanted placenta. However, the committee points out that, at this time, no diagnostic technique is 100 percent accurate in diagnosing placenta accreta.

COPYRIGHT 2002 American Academy of Family Physicians
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group

Return to Asherman's syndrome
Home Contact Resources Exchange Links ebay