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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Adenomyosis (ad-uh-no-my-O-sis) occurs when endometrial tissue, which normally lines the uterus, exists within and grows into the muscular wall of the uterus. This happens most often late in your childbearing years after having children.
Adenomyosis differs from endometriosis — a condition in which the uterine lining becomes implanted outside the uterus — although women with adenomyosis often also have endometriosis. The cause of adenomyosis remains unknown, but the disease typically disappears after menopause. For women who experience severe discomfort from adenomyosis, certain treatments can help, but hysterectomy is the only cure.
- Stewart EA. Uterine adenomyosis. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed April 18, 2012.
- Garcia L, et al. Adenomyosis: A review of the literature. Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology. 2011;18:428.
- Schorge JO, et al. Williams Gynecology. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=514. Accessed April 23, 2012.
- Lentz GM, et al. Comprehensive Gynecology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-06986-1..C2009-0-48752-X--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-06986-1&uniqId=325227117-5. Accessed April 24, 2012.
- Dysmenorrhea. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/womens_health_issues/menstrual_disorders_and_abnormal_vaginal_bleeding/dysmenorrhea.html. Accessed April 19, 2012.
- Dysfunctional uterine bleeding. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/womens_health_issues/menstrual_disorders_and_abnormal_vaginal_bleeding/dysfunctional_uterine_bleeding.html. Accessed April 23, 2012.
- Meredith SM, et al. Diagnostic accuracy of transvaginal sonography for the diagnosis of adenomyosis: Systematic review and metaanalysis. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2009;201:107.e1.
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