What conditions can affect the uterus?

Occasionally, something happens that changes the integrity of this hardy muscular organ, causing everything from annoying abdominal cramps to more serious symptoms such as severe pelvic pain, bleeding, pregnancy loss, or bladder and gastrointestinal trouble.

 Conditions affecting the uterus include:

• Cancer -- endometrial, uterine, ovarian, cervical, or vaginal;
• Fibroids or polyps (fibromyomas, leiomyomas, or myomas) -- one or many benign growths ranging in size that sit in or outside of the uterus;
• Endometriosis -- when endometrial tissue grows on the outside of the uterus;
• Prolapsed uterus -- when ligaments holding the uterus fail, and it slips out of the vagina;
• Adenomyosis -- when endometrial tissue grows into the muscle wall
• Endometrial hyperplasia -- abnormal thickening of the endometrial lining;
• Chronic pelvic pain -- sometimes no cause can be found;
• Dysfunctional uterine bleeding (DUB) -- excessive or irregular bleeding;
• Uncontrolled bleeding after childbirth or uterine surgery.