Functional uterine bleeding; etiologic factors and therapy.

Endometrial hyperplasia and irregular shedding of the endometrium comprise the largest group of known causes of functional uterine bleeding.Most patients with functional uterine bleeding have a normal endometrial pattern. In a series of patients with functional uterine bleeding, it was noted that 69.7 per cent of endometrial specimens reported as normal showed evidence of hyalinized tissue which included endometrial glands. Tissue of this type was noted in only 3.5 per cent of curetted specimens from patients without functional uterine bleeding. Diagnostic uterine curettage is the initial step in the management of functional uterine bleeding. Hysterectomy and radiation castration are seldom necessary in the management of functional uterine bleeding and are indicated only under specific circumstances.