Assessing the Role of Transvaginal Sonography in Post-menopausal Bleeding: A Less Invasive Approach to Identify Endometrial Carcinoma.

Abstract

Background Post-menopausal bleeding (PMB) is a very common complaint seen in current practice. Endometrial carcinoma (EC) commonly presents with PMB. Endometrial biopsy is the tool for definitive diagnosis, but it is invasive. Transvaginal sonography (TVS) is a non-invasive tool that can help us in the initial evaluation of such patients. Methods A prospective observational study was conducted on 76 women with PMB. TVS and histopathological study, along with basic evaluation and investigations, were performed on all participants, followed by necessary treatment and follow-up. Data collected were studied and statistically analyzed. Results A maximum of 27.63% (n=21) of patients had endometrial atrophy causing their PMB. Proliferative endometrium was observed in 21.06% (n=16) of cases, 13.15% (n=10) of women had secretory endometrium, 23.68% (n=18) had simple endometrial hyperplasia, 3.94% (n=3) had complex endometrial hyperplasia without atypia, and another 3.94% (n=3)had complex endometrial hyperplasia with atypia. Further classifying, women with benign hyperplasia included 27.63% (n=21) and those with atypical hyperplasia included 3.94% (n=3). Out of the 5.26% (n=4) patients diagnosed with EC on histopathology, TVS identified carcinoma in75% (n=3) cases. This indicates that the sensitivity and specificity of TVS in detecting EC are 75% and 100%, respectively. The positive predictive value (PPV) is 100%, the negative predictive value (NPV) is 98.63%, and the accuracy is 98.68%. Conclusion If the cut-off for endometrial thickness is set at 4 mm, then TVS proves to be an effective and reliable tool for screening and diagnosing EC. It can thus serve as a safe threshold to screen patients with PMB using TVS.