EP31.08: Does hormonal status influence uterine venous diameter?

Abstract

Pelvic venous congestion (PVC) primarily affects premenopausal (Pre-M) women and is characterised by evidence of pelvic varicosities on transvaginal ultrasound (TVS). Postmenopausal (Po-M) women rarely exhibit these symptoms suggesting that hormonal influence is a definite factor. The aim of this study was to examine the affect hormonal status has on vein diameter. This was a single-centre, prospective cross-sectional study of women attending our general gynecology clinic during a 16-month period. Demographic data and a full medical/surgical history were recorded. Exclusion criteria included age<18 years, previous hysterectomy, contraindication to/declining TVS and evidence of pelvic pathology on TVS. All women underwent TVS assessment of the pelvic organs and pelvic veins. The Mann Whitney U-test was used to compare the diameters between Pre-M and Po-M women. Linear regression was performed to examine whether exogenous hormone use influenced venous diameter. 486 women had normal pelvic organs out of 1500 women examined. Of these, 375 were Pre-M and 111 were Po-M. Overall, the pelvic vessel diameters were smaller in Po-M women, with statistical significance observed in the right vein and both sides combined. Exogenous hormone use in the Pre-M group was associated with smaller vessel diameters, with statistical significance in the left vein (p = 0.001). There was no association between vein diameter and HRT use in the Po-M group (p = 0.98 left vein; p = 0.64 right vein). Our findings showed that Pre-M women have larger pelvic veins than Po-M women. These findings provide further insight into the biomechanics of veins and hence suggest that they are sensitive to hormonal fluctuations. This is further supported by our findings revealing that suppression of ovarian activity with hormones in Pre-M women leads to a reduction in vein diameter, which is often treatment for PVC. EP31.08: Table 1. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.