Many women are faced with a problem such as uterine retrodeviation. In most cases, a similar pathology is detected during a planned gynecological examination. It is natural that patients are interested in information about the causes, symptoms and possible consequences of this disease.
What is uterine retrodeviation
This pathology is found in modern medicine relatively often. It is associated with a change in the normal position of the uterus. Under the influence of various factors, her body deviates to the intestine, and the neck to the bladder, and as a result, a backward bend forms between them.
It is worth noting that such a pathological displacement is often congenital, less likely to develop in childhood and adolescence. In adult women, an uncharacteristic bending of the uterus can also form , but this is considered rare, and may be associated with pregnancy or childbirth.
The main varieties of the disease and their causes
Immediately it is worth noting that uterine retrodeversion can be mobile (despite the wrong bending, the body of the uterus remains mobile and its physiological characteristics remain) or fixed (an incorrect bend is formed as a result of adhesions between different parts of the reproductive system, thereby fixing the uterus in a certain position )
The mobile form of retrodeviation, as a rule, develops as a result of the weakening of the muscles of the hanging apparatus (they do not hold the uterus in the right position). At the same time, the muscles of the pelvic floor retain their tone, otherwise, an organ prolapse would be observed.
The development of pathology is often associated with genetic structural features of the reproductive system, for example, a long conical cervix or the congenital shortness of the posterior wall of the vagina.
In childhood, a bend can form with constant physical stress and hard work of a teenager. In adult women, pathology is often associated with pregnancy and the birth process.
As for the fixed retrodeviation, its appearance in most cases is associated with the inflammatory process in the pelvic organs.
What are the symptoms of pathology?
In most cases, the pathology does not appear at all and is diagnosed completely by accident. On the other hand, some women still have some signs of uterine retrodeviation. What are these symptoms? Naturally, the deterioration is associated with the work of the reproductive system:
- Some patients report menstrual irregularities.
- Allocations during menstruation can be too plentiful or, conversely, too scarce.
- Sometimes, due to a strong bend of the neck, menstrual blood begins to accumulate in the cavities of the reproductive system, which is accompanied by severe soreness and the appearance of an extremely unpleasant odor.
- Other symptoms include pulling pains in the lower abdomen, sometimes in the lower back.
- The disease also affects the quality of sexual life - often there is a decrease in libido, anorgasmia.
The clinical picture with completely fixed forms of pathology looks very different, against the background of the inflammatory process:
- Patients with such a diagnosis are much more likely to complain of severe pain.
- Symptoms include an increase in temperature, the appearance of uncharacteristic vaginal discharge with an unpleasant odor, and sometimes with impurities of pus.
- Some women report soreness during intercourse.
Diagnosis methods
A standard gynecological examination is enough to notice such a deviation as uterine retrodeviation. Moreover, an experienced doctor can immediately say whether the bend is mobile or fixed.
Of course, further studies will be carried out later. For example, passing standard tests (blood, urine, smears from the vagina) helps to establish the presence of an inflammatory process. Sometimes an ultrasound scan or colposcopy is performed, especially if there is a suspicion of a tumor.
Uterine retrodeviation: treatment
Alas, a single scheme for eliminating this pathology does not exist. The choice of therapy largely depends on the cause of the bend of the uterus, its shape, the presence of concomitant diseases. A small change in the position of the body of the uterus (especially when it comes to the mobile type) may not require treatment at all. Sometimes the doctor recommends only proper nutrition, special gymnastics and regular examinations. Quite often, the bend aligns on its own during pregnancy.
On the other hand, sometimes a gynecologist recommends orthopedic treatment. First, the bend is adjusted, after which a special pessary (made of brass and rubber or harder rubber) is introduced inside. This device is located partially in the posterior arch of the uterus, partially in the vagina, thus supporting the cervix in the desired position. Every month (sometimes more often), the patient should come for a scheduled checkup. During the examination, the pessary is changed to a new one, and the doctor notes the changes that have occurred in the anatomy of the reproductive system.
The treatment regimen looks completely different if the pathologies are fixed. Uterus retrodeviation in this form indicates the presence of an inflammatory process and the formation of adhesions, and therefore wearing pessaries will not only not help, but will worsen the situation. To begin with, anti-inflammatory, and if necessary, antibacterial treatment is carried out. After the inflammation has been eliminated, women are prescribed physiotherapy, including diathermy, iontophoresis, mud therapy, gynecological massage , etc.
In the most severe cases, surgical intervention is necessary to eliminate the bend. As a rule, the procedure is carried out through small punctures in the abdominal wall - abdominal surgery in this case is not required.
Retrodevelopment and pregnancy
There is an opinion that uterine body retrodeversion is an obstacle to pregnancy. This is not entirely true, because much depends on the form of the pathology and the general condition of the patient. According to statistics, the majority of women with mobile retrodevation are quite capable of fertilization. Moreover, in many of them, the position of the uterus straightens by itself by the fourth month of pregnancy.
On the other hand, bending too much, the presence of adhesions, foci of chronic inflammation sometimes lead to infertility or miscarriages. It is simply impossible to foresee the consequences of bending the uterus.