Hello and welcome to the zero to finals podcast. My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be

talking to you about the differential diagnoses that you'll come across in gynecology.

And you can find written notes on this topic at zero toinals.com slash differential diagnosis or in the

gynecology section of the zero definals obstetrics and gynecology book. So let's get straight into it.

There are a limited number of presenting complaints in gynecology and having a list of differential

diagnoses in your head when a patient

presents with intermenstrual bleeding or pelvic pain or some other gynecological presentation

can help you take a focused history and perform a relevant examination to narrow down that list

of differentials. This will make you appear practiced and knowledgeable in your

OSCI examinations and help make it easier when you're seeing patients in real life. Some gynecology

problems are responsible for many presenting complaints and while the lists initially seem

intimidating as you learn about the core conditions in gynecology,

they will be easier to remember.

Let's start with amenorrhea, and amenorrhea refers to a lack of menstrual periods.

The causes of amenorrhea is a big topic and covered in more detail later on.

Primary amenorrhea is when the patient has never developed periods, and this can be due to

abnormal functioning of the hypothalamus or pituitary gland, which we call hypogonadotropic

hypogonadism, abnormal functioning of the gonads or the ovaries, which we call

hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, and also imperforate hymen and other structural pathologies.

Secondary ameneria is when the patient has previously had periods that subsequently stopped.

And this can be due to pregnancy, which is the most common cause, menopause, physiological stress

due to excessive exercise, low body weight, chronic disease or psychosocial factors,

...