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  • Title: Menometrorrhagia in an oral contraceptive user.
    Author: Murphy NJ, Wallace DL, Behrend AE.
    Journal: J Fam Pract; 1993 Feb; 36(2):229-31. PubMed ID: 8426144.
    Abstract:
    Endometrial carcinoma is the most frequent malignancy of the female reproductive tract, and irregular vaginal bleeding is the most common presenting symptom. Endometrial carcinoma is found most commonly among postmenopausal women and is associated with obesity, nulliparity, and anovulation. Oral contraceptive (OC) use and tobacco smoking have been reported to protect against endometrial carcinoma. Irregular vaginal bleeding is a common side effect of OC therapy. We report the case of an obese, premenopausal nulliparous woman with normal menses who developed menometrorrhagia and was then found to have endometrial carcinoma despite her youth and her use of both tobacco and combination OC. Endometrial carcinoma is the most frequent malignancy of the female reproductive tract, and irregular vaginal bleeding is its most common symptom. It is most common among postmenopausal women and is associated with obesity, nulliparity, and anovulation. Oral contraceptive (OC) use and tobacco smoking have been reported to protect against it. A 30-year-old nulligravida nulliparous woman presented with menometrorrhagia. She had had normal menses since age 11, she had smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 15 years, and had been obese since age 15 (weighing 302 pounds). At age 26, she started taking a combination OC containing .1 mg ethynodiol diacetate and 35 mcg ethynyl estradiol (EE). 4 years later she gradually developed menorrhagia which improved upon changing the OC to .3 mg norgestrel and 30 mcg EE. Subsequently she developed early cycle metrorrhagia and was placed on .5 mg norgestrel and 50 mcg EE. She continued having early and midcycle breakthrough bleeding with clots. Physical examination and test results including a PAP smear were normal. She was taken to the emergency department because of continued bleeding. The uterus sounded to 14 cm. Curettings were consistent with grade 1-2, well-differentiated adenocarcinoma of the endometrium. 3 weeks later, she had total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and peritoneal biopsy for cytological examination. The pelvis and the abdomen were free of metastasis. Histological examination revealed a superficially invasive, well-differentiated adenocarcinoma consistent with stage IB, grade 1%. Ploidy analysis uncovered 12.5% tetraploid, with 0% aneuploid or hyperploid cells with 8.5% of the cells in S phase and 21% in the proliferative phase. Both estrogen and progesterone receptors were positive. The ploidy analysis and receptor status were consistent with the low-grade nature of the lesions. Postoperative radiation was not recommended, and the patient was well 6 months postoperatively.
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