title: Amenorrhoea revealing an arteriovenous uterine malformation, and recovery of menses after embolization.
abstract: A case is reported of secondary amenorrhoea related to an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) successfully treated with embolization, with a recovery of menstrual cycles. A 28-year-old woman presented with secondary amenorrhoea as the only clinical symptom. Although she had an eugonadic status, there was no genital withdrawal bleeding upon cessation of an oral contraceptive. Pelvic transvaginal ultrasonography revealed a pelvic mass but magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) clearly showed an AVM. Classical angiography was performed with endovascular embolization. Partial thrombosis of the lesion was assessed by magnetic resonance angiography. Recovery of menses occurred 2 months later. It is speculated that blood stolen from the endometrium by the uterine AVM could have been responsible for the amenorrhoea. It is a very unusual cause, and it can be successfully treated with embolization.
authors.affiliation: Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique B et Médecine de la Reproduction, Hôpital Universitaire A. de Villeneuve, 371 Avenue. Doyen G. Giraud, 34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France. lreyftmann@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Lionel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Reyftmann
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dechaud
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ovtchnikoff
authors.forename: Jean Pierre Rouanet
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: de Lavit
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hédon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D001165:Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D020127:Recovery of Function; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply*