#ThursdayThoughts
As promised, each Thursday, we will now offer you a piece of educational, science, or research related information. The purpose of our #ThursdayThoughts post is to share with you fact-based content that can enlighten and assist you on your fertility journey. Enjoy our post! Helping to Create New Beginnings….
What is Endometritis?
Endometritis occurs when the lining of the uterus becomes inflamed, either due to infection or another inflammatory process. This can lead to an inhospitable environment for embryo implantation, or even scarring of the uterine lining. An endometrial biopsy can be utilized to detect chronic endometritis, and involves sampling the endometrial lining with a thin, flexible catheter. Although it is a very safe procedure, endometrial biopsy can cause some cramping and light bleeding. A hysteroscopy, which is a surgical procedure performed under anesthesia, can also determine if endometritis is present.
Endometritis can be divided into two categories: acute and chronic. Acute endometritis typically stems from infection with bacteria such as gonorrhea or chlamydia. Women are more symptomatic with acute endometritis; some women may experience fever/chills, pelvic pain, or overall fatigue. Women with chronic endometritis are often asymptomatic1. Chronic endometritis occurs when there is continuous and often subtle inflammation of the uterine lining. There has been some association between chronic endometritis and problems with fertility and implantation. A study by Kimura et al (2019) reported chronic endometritis was present in 2.8-56.8% of infertile women, 14-67.5% of women with recurrent implantation failure, and 9.3-67.6% of women with recurrent pregnancy loss.
Women diagnosed with endometritis can take oral antibiotics for a short period of time. Adding a daily probiotic may help maintain appropriate levels of normal vaginal flora. Thankfully, endometritis is usually treatable with outpatient therapy. Rarely, women with severe pelvic infections require hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics.
For more information and testing for endometritis, please call 808-545-2800 to schedule an appointment with one of our physicians, or visit our website at https://www.ivfcenterhawaii.com/ for more information.
References:
Kitaya et al. (2011) Immunihistochemistrical and Clinicopathological Characterization of Chronic Endometritis. American Journal of Reproductive Immunology.66:5 (410-415).
Kimura et al. (2019) Chronic endometritis and its effect on reproduction. The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research. 45:5 (951-960).
