What is the term for excessive menstrual bleeding that occurs at irregular intervals?

The term for excessive menstrual bleeding that occurs at irregular intervals is metrorrhagia. Metrorrhagia refers specifically to any bleeding from the uterus that occurs outside the normal menstrual cycle, which includes episodes of significant blood loss. This can happen due to a variety of reasons, such as hormonal imbalances, uterine fibroids, or other medical conditions affecting the reproductive system.

Understanding the context of the term is essential; while dysmenorrhea refers to painful menstruation, menorrhagia is characterized by prolonged or heavy menstruation, typically during the regular menstrual cycle rather than irregular intervals. Anemia, on the other hand, is a condition that may result from excessive bleeding but does not describe the pattern of bleeding itself.