A miscarriage that should have happened but hasn't. As a result, the pregnancy tissue in the uterus gets tougher and more difficult to get out with a uterine curettage -- which is the only treatment for it, but risks producing intrauterine adhesions. The pregnancy test can stay positive for many weeks or even months.

Adhesions inside the endometrial cavity caused by prior infection (endometritis), especially if there has been a curettage during the period of infection, or if curettage is performed in conditions of low estrogen. The circumstances in which this combination is most common are treatment for a missed abortion and treatment of a postpartum hemorrhage (bleeding a few weeks after the birth of a baby). A cause of absent periods amenorrhea, light periods (hypomenorrhea) or recurrent miscarriages.