Postmenopausal bleeding
At theclinic
The specialist at the clinic, which may be a nurse, will take your medical history and record your symptoms. You'll then go to the scan room for an examination.
Vaginal ultrasound scan
A vaginal ultrasoundscan is performed by gently inserting a fine ultrasoundprobe into your vagina, which you may find slightly uncomfortable. It usually takes about 10 minutes.
The probe emits high-frequency sound waves to create an image of the inside of your vagina and womb, which is then displayed on a monitor.
The results of this examination will then be discussed with you, and you'll find out whether you need a biopsy or hysteroscopy. This is mainly determined by the thickness of the womb lining.
Pelvicexamination
The specialist will also carry out a pelvic examination. They will insert a speculum into your vagina, similar to having a cervical screening test, so your vulva, vagina and cervix can be carefully examined. Most women find this a bit uncomfortable.
Swabs may be taken from your vagina and/or cervix to rule out any infection. The doctor may wish to carry out a cervical screening test as well if this is overdue.
If the lining of the womb is thickened, a small sample of tissue (biopsy) may be removed using a fine, flexible plastic tube. This can cause cramps and bleeding, which usually settles very quickly. The test can be stopped if you are finding it too uncomfortable, so let the healthcare professional carrying out the test know if you want them to stop.
The speculum is then removed and an internal examination is performed. This allows the doctor to gauge the size, shape and consistency of your womb, and also assess if there is any tenderness in your pelvis.
Hysteroscopy
A hysteroscopy allows the doctor to look inside your womb and remove a small sample of tissue for testing using a fine telescope-like instrument called a hysteroscope.
The hysteroscope is passed through your cervix under either local anaesthetic (where the area is numbed so you don't feel any pain) or general anaesthetic (where you are asleep).
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Postmenopausal bleeding is vaginal bleeding that happens at least 12 months after your periods have stopped.
Most likely causes
There can be several reasons for bleeding after the Testosterone deficiency (hypogonadism) . The most common causes are: inflammation and thinning of thevaginal lining (atrophic vaginitis) or womb
Diagnosing the cause
Your GP should refer you to hospital for further tests. This will help to identify the cause of your problem, to exclude cancer and plan necessary treatment. Some areas have specialistpostmenopausal b
At theclinic
The specialist at the clinic, which may be a nurse, will take your medical history and record your symptoms. You'll then go to the scan room for an examination. Vaginal ultrasound scan A vaginal ult
Treating postmenopausal bleeding
Treatment depends on what is causing your bleeding. For example, if the cause is cervical polyps, you may need to have them removed. This fairly simple procedure can be done in the specialist's offic
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