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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffAbnormal vaginal bleeding is any vaginal bleeding unrelated to normal menstruation. This type of bleeding may include spotting of small amounts of blood between periods — often seen on toilet tissue after wiping — or extremely heavy periods in which you soak a pad an hour for several hours. Bleeding that lasts for weeks at a time also is considered abnormal.
Normal vaginal bleeding, or menstruation, occurs every 21 to 35 days when the uterus sheds its lining, marking the start of a new reproductive cycle. Your menstrual period may last for just a few days or more than a week, with heavy flow or light spotting, and still be considered normal.
- Gray SH, et al. Abnormal vaginal bleeding in adolescents. Pediatrics in Review. 2007;28:175.
- Lobo RA. Abnormal uterine bleeding: Ovulatory and anovulatory dysfunctional uterine bleeding, management of acute and chronic excessive bleeding. In: Katz VL, et al. Comprehensive Gynecology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208943077-2/0/1524/248.html?tocnode=53759912&fromURL=248.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-02951-3..50040-6_1192. Accessed July 8, 2010.
- Goodman A. Terminology and evaluation of abnormal uterine bleeding in premenopausal women. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 8, 2010.
- Goodman A. The evaluation and management of uterine bleeding in postmenopausal women. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 8, 2010.
- Mohan S, et al. Diagnosis of abnormal uterine bleeding. Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 2007;21:891.
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