Objective: To discuss the influence of interventional radiotherapy for treating severe postpartum hemorrhage on postpartum menorrhea.
Methods: From Mar. 1995 to Feb. 2002, 18 cases of severe postpartum hemorrhage treated with arterial embolization served as the interventional group. Twenty parturients without postpartum complication were recruited as control group. The continuance of lochia, recovery of menorrhea between the two groups were compared. Serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E(2)) of the non-lactating women in the two groups were assayed during the 3rd-5th days of the first menstrual cycle.
Results: Continuance times of lochia were (33.9 +/- 2.0) days, and (36.2 +/- 3.1) days in interventional group and control group, respectively. Recovery times of menorrhea were (75 +/- 17) days, and (95 +/- 16) days in interventional group and control group. The quantity of the postpartum menorrhea was 1.3 +/- 0.1 times of that before delivery in interventional group, 1.3 +/- 0.2 times of that in control group. The number of menstrual cycle before recovery to normal menorrhea was 2 cycles in interventional group, 1.9 cycles in control group. Postpartum menstrual cycle was (33.9 +/- 2.2) days in interventional group, (33.2 +/- 1.6) days in control group. Serum FSH, LH, E(2) of the non-lactating women during the 3rd approximately 5th days of the first menstrual cycle were (5.2 +/- 1.1) U/L, (7.5 +/- 1.6) U/L, (262 +/- 14) pmol/L in interventional group, (4.3 +/- 2.1) U/L, (6.3 +/- 1.3) U/L, (280 +/- 12) pmol/L in control group. There was no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05).
Conclusions: No obvious influence of interventional radiotherapy for postpartum hemorrhage on postpartum menorrhea was observed.