CHAPTER 17



Chapter 17 Women’s Health Issues: Obstetrics and Gynecology

Diseases and Disorders of the Female Reproductive System

There are many diseases and disorders that can affect the female reproductive system. Some are mild and can be treated with great success, such as a vaginal yeast infection; however, some can be life threatening, like ovarian cancer, because there are no symptoms until the disease is in an advanced stage. The following table lists some diseases and disorders of the female reproductive system.

|Disease/ Disorder |Symptoms |Treatments |

|Breast Cancer |Firm painless lump in the breast |Lumpectomy: Removal of the tumor when there is no evidence of lymph node involvement.|

| |Change in shape or size of the breast |If lymph nodes are positive, removal of the nodes along with the tumor and radiation |

| |Redness, dimpling, or puckering of the skin |and chemotherapy. |

| |Nipple discharge |Mastectomy: |

| | |Simple: removal of just the breast |

| | |Modified radical: removal of the breast and axillary lymph nodes |

| | |Radical: removal of the breast, axillary lymph nodes, and muscles of the chest wall |

|Candidiasis |Thick, cheesy vaginal discharge |Fluconazole (topical) |

|(vaginal yeast infection) |Vaginal itching |Miconazole (topical) |

|Cervical Cancer |Frequent vaginal discharge |Hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) |

| |Bleeding following intercourse |Removal of abnormal cells |

| |Sporadic bleeding |Radiation |

| |Abnormal cervical cells |Chemotherapy |

|Cervicitis |Bleeding following intercourse |Antibiotic therapy |

|(inflammation of the cervix) |Vaginal discharge |Change in type of contraception |

| |Painful intercourse (dyspareunia) | |

|Cystocele |Bulging in the vaginal wall |Vaginal wall repair and suspension of the bladder |

|(bladder hernia which protrudes into the vaginal | | |

|wall) | | |

|Dysmenorrhea |Abdominal/pelvic pain during menstruation |Analgesics |

|(difficult or painful menstruation) | |Antispasmodics |

| | |Oral contraceptives |

| | |Anti-inflammatory agents |

|Endometriosis |Dysmenorrhea |Pain medications |

|(growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterus)|Heavy menstrual flow |Oral contraceptives |

| |Spotting |Hormone therapy |

| |Painful intercourse |Laser surgery |

| | |Hysterectomy |

|Fibrocystic breast disease |Presence of multiple fibrous cysts in the breast |If necessary, needle aspiration of the cyst |

|(benign breast disease with multiple fibrous | | |

|cysts) | | |

|Fibroids/leiomyoma |Dysmenorrhea |Small fibroids can be surgically removed |

|(benign fibrous tumor of the uterus) |Heavy menstrual flow |Medications to shrink the mass |

| |Enlargement of the uterus |Hysterectomy, depending on age |

| |Abdominal pressure |Analgesics |

| |Excessive abdominal gas | |

|Ovarian cancer |Indigestion |Aggressive surgery to remove the reproductive organs |

| |Abdominal bloating |Radiation |

| |Nausea |Chemotherapy |

| |Abdominal and pelvic discomfort | |

| |Enlarged ovaries | |

|Ovarian cyst |Pelvic pain |Observation of the cyst |

| |Lower back pain |Medications |

| |Menorrhagia |Surgical intervention |

|Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) |Irritability |Antidepressants |

|(variety of symptoms that appear prior to the |Acne |Diuretics |

|menstrual cycle) |Fatigue |Analgesics |

| |Depression |Antianxiety medication |

| |Breast tenderness |Oral contraceptives |

| |Diarrhea | |

| |Weight gain | |

| |Muscle spasms | |

| |Loss of libido | |

|Rectocele |Difficulty emptying the rectum |Surgery to repair vaginal wall with support of the rectum |

|(protrusion of the rectum through a herniation of|Full feeling in the rectum | |

|the vaginal wall) |Posterior mass | |

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download