Publication:

Categorization of patients with abnormal uterine bleeding according to PALM-COEIN FIGO classification

Background Abnormal uterine bleeding is a common problem of the women in the reproductive age group and leads to the frequent visits of women in hospitals to health care providers. In an effort to create a universally accepted system of nomenclature to describe uterine bleeding abnormalities in reproductive-aged women, an alternative classification system polyp, adenomyosis, leiomyoma, malignancy and hyperplasia, coagulopathy, ovulatory dysfunction, endometrial, iatrogenic, and not yet classified, known by the acronym PALM-COEIN developed.

Methods It is a retrospective study on 200 patients of abnormal uterine bleeding to categorize them on the basis of PALM-COEIN classification. Patient grouped under these categories after detailed history, examination, investigations and histopathological reports.

Results Ovulatory dysfunction was the most common cause of AUB in patients presenting to the gynecology outpatient department (n=60, 30%). It was followed by leiomyoma (n=48, 24%) and endometrial causes (n=38, 19%) and were the top three etiologies for AUB respectively. Adenomyosis (n=26, 13%), not classified (n=12, 6%), iatrogenic (n=8, 4%), polyp (n=4, 2%) and malignancy and coagulopathy each (n=2, 1%) contributing least to the PALM-COEIN classification as an etiology for AUB.

Conclusions PALM-COEIN classification is a universally accepted and consistent method of knowing exact etiology following investigations, so the proper treatment can be done for AUB.