Ashermans syndrome (AS) is an acquired uterine condition that occurs when scar tissue (adhesions) form inside the uterus and/or the cervix. It is characterized by variable scarring inside the uterine cavity, where in many cases the front and back walls of the uterus stick to one another. AS can be the cause of menstrual disturbances, infertility, and placental abnormalities. Although the first case of intrauterine adhesion was published in 1894 by Heinrich Fritsch, it was only after 54 years that a full description of Asherman syndrome was carried out by Joseph Asherman. A number of other terms have been used to describe the condition and related conditions including:  uterine/cervical atresia, traumatic uterine atrophy, sclerotic endometrium, and endometrial sclerosis.There is not any one cause of AS. Risk factors can include myomectomy, cesarean section, infections, age, genital tuberculosis, and obesity. Genetic predisposition to AS is being investigated. There are also studies that show that a severe pelvic infection, independent of surgery may cause AS. AS can develop even if the woman has not had any uterine surgeries, trauma, or pregnancies. While rare in North America and European countries, genital tuberculosis is a cause of Ashermans in other countries such as India. History
The condition was first described in 1894 by Heinrich Fritsch (Fritsch, 1894) and further characterized by the Israeli gynecologist Joseph Asherman (1889–1968) in 1948.It is also known as Fritsch syndrome, or Fritsch-Asherman syndrome.
Epidemiology
AS has a reported incidence of 25% of D&Cs performed 1–4 weeks post-partum, up to 30.9% of D&Cs performed for missed miscarriages and 6.4% of D&Cs performed for incomplete miscarriages. In another study, 40% of patients who underwent repeated D&C for retained products of conception after missed miscarriage or retained placenta developed AS.In the case of missed miscarriages, the time period between fetal demise and curettage may increase the likelihood of adhesion formation due to fibroblastic activity of the remaining tissue.The risk of AS also increases with the number of procedures: one study estimated the risk to be 16% after one D&C and 32% after three or more D&Cs. However, a single curettage often underlies the condition. In an attempts to estimate the prevalence of AS in the general population, it was found in 1.5% of women undergoing hysterosalpingography HSG, and between 5 and 39% of women with recurrent miscarriage.After miscarriage, a review estimated the prevalence of AS to be approximately 20% (95% confidence interval: 13% to 28%). References
External links

"The secret syndrome leaving women infertile". Daily Mirror. UK. 29 April 2010. Sophie Blake talks about being diagnosed with Ashermans syndrome. Bruton C (10 December 2007). "The hidden threat to fertility". Times Online. Archived from the original on 27 July 2008. Perloe M (20 July 2001) [17 August 1998]. "Ashermans Syndrome Overview". iVillage. Archived from the original on 25 December 2005. "How Ashermans syndrome causes infertility or miscarriages". Blog: Ashermans Syndrome Watch. 19 February 2010. (awareness, education, prevention)
"What are intrauterine adhesions?". How to treat intrauterine adhesions. womedtech.com.