Hysteroscopy Topic Guide

Learn about what causes abnormal vaginal bleeding (spotting in between periods), including hormonal disorders, benign or malignant tumors, blood clotting disorders, certain medications, and infections.

Cervical dysplasia is the presence of precancerous changes in the cells of the lining of the cervix. Cervical dysplasia is classified by two terms, squamous intraepithelial lesion and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. The cause of cervical dysplasia is infection with the HPV virus (human papilloma virus). An HPV infection that does not resolve on it's own can lead to genital warts, cervical dysplasia, and cervical cancer. The treatment of cervical dysplasia depends on the severity (mild, moderate, or severe).

A miscarriage (spontaneous abortion) is a pregnancy that spontaneously ends before the fetus can survive. There are classifications of miscarriage that include threatened, inevitable, incomplete, and complete miscarriage. There are a variety of causes of a miscarriage. Causes of miscarriage include defective genes of the fetus, chronic illness, including diabetes, severe high blood pressure, kidney disease, lupus, and underactive or overactive thyroid gland, acute infections, including Germany measles, CMV, and mycoplasma (walking pneumonia), diseases and abnormalities of the internal female organs, and other factors, including certain drugs like alcohol, tobacco, and cocaine. Symptoms and signs of a miscarriage are vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain, and cramping. If a woman thinks she may be having a miscarriage, she should seek medical care with her doctor or go to an emergency department.

Uterine fibroids are benign tumors (non-cancerous tumors) of a woman's uterus. The exact reason why some women develop uterine fibroids is not known. Obesity, nulliparity, and early menstruation are conditions associated with uterine fibroids. Some of the symptoms of uterine fibroids include irregular vaginal bleeding, constipation, lower abdominal pain, infertility, and more. Treatment of a uterine fibroid depends on the size and location of the fibroid.