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The Clinical Features and Diagnosis of Adenomyosis

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Adenomyosis

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Abstract

As early as 1920, Cullen [1] described adenomyosis as “endometriosis with predominantly presence of fibromuscular tissue,” and in 1921 Sampson [2] distinguished three types of adenomyosis. However, adenomyosis remained little known in the later decades and written only as an appendix in books on endometriosis, not knowing that adenomyosis has a great adverse impact on women’s health. For a long time, adenomyosis could only be diagnosed on histological specimens after hysterectomy in reproductive age women with heavy menstrual bleeding or pelvic pain [3]. Therefore the incidence rate in retrospective studies was seriously underestimated, and the prevalence rate varies due to the criteria used. Over the last 10 years, adenomyosis has become a condition diagnosed in young reproductive age women [4] because of the recent advancements in imaging techniques. Despite the new diagnostic tools, the awareness of the disease is still poor among the doctors with consensus on definition, and classification is still lacking [5]. Furthermore, adenomyosis is often associated with other gynecological conditions, such as endometriosis and fibroids. This chapter will discuss the clinical features and diagnosis of adenomyosis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China

    Yi Dai & Jinhua Leng

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  1. Yi Dai
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  2. Jinhua Leng
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China

    Min Xue

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China

    Jinhua Leng

  3. School of Women’s and Children’s Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

    Felix Wong

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Dai, Y., Leng, J. (2021). The Clinical Features and Diagnosis of Adenomyosis. In: Xue, M., Leng, J., Wong, F. (eds) Adenomyosis. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4095-4_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4095-4_4

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