Dr. Fawziah Tan Sri Dato' Ishak is the best gynecologist in Penang, Malaysia. She has a wealth of experience of 16 years and is presently working at Pantai Hospital Penang. Dr. Fawziah has completed her MBBS from the University of Malay in 1984. After which she earned MRCOg from the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, the UK in 1992 to become a Gynecologist and obstetrician. A multilingual person she is fluent in English, Malay, and Indonesian. She is renowned for her specialization in 3D-4D Ultrasound pregnancy, colposcopy, menopause, cervical screening, and endometrial hyperplasia. The treatments she has expertise in are sacrocolpopexy, Hysteroscopy, Diagnostic hysterectomy, Endometrial Ablation, Polypectomy, Colporrhaphy, Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE), Blocked Fallopian Tube Treatment, etc.
Endometrial Hyperplasia
Endometrial Hyperplasia is a condition in the female reproductive system where the uterus lining becomes unusually thick. It is not benign but can be a stimulation of endometrial cancer. The thickness of the uterus lining is because of having a large number of cells (hyperplasia).
Vulnerable group:
It occurs most commonly in women who are in their pre-menopause phase. The risk of endometrial hyperplasia is high in women with diabetes, family history of ovarian cancer, thyroid disorder, PCOS, gall bladder disease, obesity, etc.
Types
Endometrial hyperplasia can be divided into two types based on the kind of cell changes in the endometrial lining:
- Simple Endometrial Hyperplasia: The cells in this type are normal-looking and non-cancerous. This condition can improve without treatment as well while some in cases doctors may recommend hormone therapy.
- Complex atypical Endometrial Hyperplasia: The cells in this type are abnormal and can cause a pre-cancerous situation. Without treatment the risk of uterine cancer increases.
Causes
The sex hormones estrogen and progesterone in women are important for menstruation and pregnancy. Every month during ovulation estrogen thickens endometrium while progesterone prepares the uterus for pregnancy. When no conception takes, the levels of progesterone drops which results in the shed of the uterus lining. The progesterone drop acts as stimulation for the uterus to start shedding the lining. When women suffer from endometrial hyperplasia they can produce a lot of estrogens and very little progesterone. In this condition, the endometrial lining continues to build up even after when conception doesn't happen.
In cases of obesity, the estrogen level is alleviated abnormally. The adipose tissue contributes to converting the fat-producing hormones to estrogen. As a result of which the abnormally high levels of estrogen stimulates the thickening of the uterus wall.
Symptoms:
Women with Endometrial Hyperplasia commonly face three types of issues:
- Heavy Bleeding: Women may experience abnormally heavy menstrual bleeding.
- Abnormal Menstruation: Menstruation might be irregular, for less or extended time period.
- Bleeding after menopause: Women suffering endometrial hyperplasia may experience bleeding even after menopause.
- Treatment: While the symptoms are common for many reproductive disorders, endometrial hyperplasia can be diagnosed through tests like ultrasound or biopsy. Treatment of the disorder is based on the type of endometrial hyperplasia. In cases of complex endometrial hyperplasia which may cause an onset of uterine cancer, doctors may recommend hysterectomy, where they remove the uterus. While in simple endometrial hyperplasia two types of progestin treatments may be recommended:
- Oral progesterone therapy through oral medication
- Injections of progesterone
Takeaway
Endometrial Hyperplasia can be prevented by maintaining a healthy weight, taking birth control pills, etc. Women should consult a doctor if the symptoms like vaginal bleeding after menopause, abnormal bleeding, irregular periods. On-time diagnosis of the disorder may prevent the risk of uterine cancer. For more details about the disorder and its treatment, you can contact Dr. Fawziah Tan Sri Dato' Ishak , an experienced gynecologist and obstetrician at Pantai Hospital Penang, Malaysia.
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