Health Guide

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Membranous dysmenorrhea can be regarded as extreme form of spasmodic dysmenorrhea. Though it is a severe medical condition, fortunately it is very rare. Membranous dysmenorrhea usually runs in families and can recur after pregnancy.

Membranous dysmenorrhea is accompanied by passing of membranes that may take form of cast in the uterine cavity and microscopically the casts have the appearance of the endometrium of uterus during menstruation except that the disintegrative processes are ill defined. Most likely it is due to deficiency of the tryptic ferment secreted by the endimetrium in normal menstruation. But normal women can pass small membranes during menstruation who are not suffering from Membranous dysmenorrhea. Usually there are no inflammatory infiltrations of tissues of the casts and there is no reason to suspect that Membranous dysmenorrhea is due to chronic inflammation of the uterus.

The treatment of membranous dysmenorrhea is same as that of spasmodic dysmenorrhea. Patient should be educated on the subjects of menstruation and sex education and reassured. Patient should be advised nutritious diet, regular exercise, correction of constipation and inculcation of regular healthy habits. Simple analgesics like aspirin or Buscopan, hormonal contraceptives, prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors like mefanamic acid, danazol etc. are used in treatment of Membranous dysmenorrhea. Surgical dilatation of cervix is also done in many cases. In extreme cases hysterectomy (surgical removal of uterus) is reserved if the patient has completed her family or not desirous of having child any more. Despite all these treatments, the prognosis of Membranous dysmenorrhea is worse than spasmodic dysmenorrhea (except hysterectomy).

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