title: [Membranous dysmenorrhea - a forgotten disease].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to present a series of cases of membranous dysmenorrhea.
  
  
  METHODS
  all the patients selected were under diagnostic suspicion, after being clinically attended in a private medical office due to the report of painful dysmenorrhea associated with spontaneous elimination of elastic material with uterine shape. Only relevant facts about the pain condition have been described, together with the present and previous medical history and life habits. The material eliminated was forwarded to the pathology laboratory, where the macro and microscopic analyses were done. Cases with no confirmation of membranous material elimination were not selected. After the diagnostic confirmation, literature up to 2008 was carried out using the MeSH method, with the words 'membranous dysmenorrheal'.
  
  
  RESULTS
  three cases of dysmenorrhea were transcribed. Besides the characteristic picture of pain and vaginal elimination of elastic material, all the cases were associated with the use of hormonal contraceptive methods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  despite the fact that there are only sporadic reports of cases of membranous dysmenorrhea in the scientific literature, this etiology must be considered in cases of pain associated with vaginal bleeding plus elimination of elastic or solid material. The final diagnosis depends on anatomopathological exam, which should not be dismissed. We highlight the need for more discussion about this pathology, to keep the professionals updated with the aim of exerting adequate diagnosis and therapeutics.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Comunitária Regional do Oeste - UNOCHAPECO - Chapecó, SC, Brasil. patriciapoliveira@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Patrícia Pereira de
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Cristiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Eyng
authors.forename: Rosane Martins de Aguiar
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Zin
authors.forename: Jerso
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Menegassi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004412:Dysmenorrhea / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008566:Membranes / Q000473:pathology