Spotting – colloquially called spotting – (synonyms: Bleeding Anomaly – Pre/post menstrual spotting; Dysfunctional Bleeding; Postmenstrual Bleeding; Premenstrual Bleeding; Premenstrual Spotting; ICD-10 N93.8: Other Specified Abnormal Uterine or Vaginal Bleeding) is a type disorder. It is spotting that may occur premenstrually, postmenstrually, or at the time of ovulation.
Bleeding abnormalities (bleeding or cycle disorders) are divided into rhythm disorders and type disorders.
Type disorders include:
- Hypermenorrhea – bleeding is too heavy; usually the affected person consumes more than five pads/tampons per day
- Hypomenorrhea – bleeding is too weak; the affected person consumes less than two pads per day
- Brachymenorrhea – bleeding duration shorter than three days.
- Menorrhagia – bleeding is prolonged (> 7 days and < 14 days) and intensified.
- Spotting – intermittent bleeding such as:
- Premenstrual spotting (synonym: pre-lubrication; pre-bleeding; premenstrual spotting) – spotting before menstruation proper.
- Middle bleeding (synonym: ovulatory bleeding) – periovulatory spotting (“around ovulation“) (ICD-10: N92.3)
- Postmenstrual spotting (synonym: postmenstrual spotting; postmenstrual bleeding; postmenstrual spotting) – spotting after actual menstruation.
- Metrorrhagia – bleeding outside the actual menstruation; it is usually prolonged and increased, a regular cycle is not recognizable
- Menometrorrhagia – prolonged and increased menstrual bleeding with intermenstrual bleeding.
The cause of spotting is usually hormonal disorders or endometrial causes (of the endometrium).
