Endometrial Pathology In Women Research Articles

Accuracy of transvaginal ultrasound in diagnosing endometrial pathology in women with post-menopausal bleeding on tamoxifen

The incidence of endometrial pathology is increased in women with tamoxifen-induced post-menopausal bleeding (PMB). The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) in diagnosing endometrial pathology in symptomatic women taking tamoxifen, using endometrial thickness measurements (5 mm and 10 mm cut-offs) and morphological changes within the uterine cavity to define abnormality. The sensitivity of TVS was 97% (95% confidence interval (CI) 83% to 100%) and the specificity 35% (95% CI 17% to 56%) at a 5 mm threshold. The corresponding likelihood ratios for a positive test were 1.47 (95% CI 1.16-2.10) and a negative test were 0.09 (95% CI 0.02-0.53). The use of a higher 10 mm threshold, characterization of endometrial morphology or combining endometrial thickness and morphology did not improve overall accuracy. TVS measurement of endometrial thickness using a 5 mm cut-off is highly accurate in excluding endometrial disease in symptomatic women taking tamoxifen and may negate the need for further diagnostic testing in women unless symptoms recur. A positive TVS result is of little value, so further testing is mandatory in order to detect benign and malignant endometrial disease associated with tamoxifen and PMB.

Endometrial blood flow mapping using transvaginal power Doppler sonography in women with postmenopausal bleeding and thickened endometrium.

To evaluate the role of transvaginal power Doppler sonography to discriminate between benign and malignant endometrial conditions in women presenting with postmenopausal bleeding and thickened endometrium at baseline sonography. Ninety-one postmenopausal women (median age, 58 years; range, 47-83 years) presenting with uterine bleeding and a thickened endometrium (> or = 5-mm double-layer endometrial thickness) on transvaginal sonography were included in this prospective study. Endometrial blood flow distribution was assessed in all patients by power Doppler immediately after B-mode transvaginal sonography. Three different vascular patterns were defined: Pattern A: multiple-vessel pattern, Pattern B: single-vessel pattern and Pattern C: scattered-vessel pattern. Histological diagnoses were obtained in all cases. No patient taking tamoxifen citrate or receiving hormone replacement therapy was included. Histological diagnoses were as follows: endometrial cancer: 33 (36%), endometrial polyp: 37 (41%), endometrial hyperplasia: 14 (15%), endometrial cystic atrophy: 7 (8%). Blood flow was found in 97%, 92%, 79% and 85% of cases of carcinoma, polyp, hyperplasia and endometrial cystic atrophy, respectively. A total of 81.3% of vascularized endometrial cancers showed Pattern A, 97.1% of vascularized polyps exhibited Pattern B and 72.7% of vascularized hyperplasias showed Pattern C. Sensitivity and specificity for endometrial cancer were 78.8% and 100%. For endometrial polyp these respective values were 89.2% and 87% and for hyperplasia they were 57.1% and 88.3%. Transvaginal power Doppler blood flow mapping is useful to differentiate benign from malignant endometrial pathology in women presenting with postmenopausal bleeding and thickened endometrium at baseline sonography.

Ultrasonographic endometrial thickness for diagnosing endometrial pathology in women with postmenopausal bleeding: a meta-analysis.

Our aim was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of endometrial thickness measurement by pelvic ultrasonography for predicting endometrial carcinoma and disease (hyperplasia and/or carcinoma) during an investigation of postmenopausal bleeding. We performed a systematic quantitative review of the available published literature, which consisted of online searching the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases (1966-2000) coupled with scanning of bibliography of known primary and review articles. The selection of studies, assessment of study quality, and extraction of data were performed in duplicate under masked conditions. Included in the analyses were 57 studies with 9031 patients. Accuracy data were summarized using likelihood ratios for various cut-off levels of abnormal endometrial thickness. The commonest cut-offs were 4 mm (9 studies) and 5 mm (21 studies), measuring both endometrial layers. None of the nine studies using the < or = 4 mm cut-off level were of good quality. Only four studies (out of the 21) used the < or = 5 mm cut-off level, which employed the best-quality criteria. Using the pooled estimates from these four studies only, a positive test result raised the probability of carcinoma from 14.0% (95% CI 13.3-14.7) to 31.3% (95% CI 26.1-36.3), while a negative test reduced it to 2.5% (95% CI 0.9-6.4). In conclusion, ultrasound measurement of endometrial thickness alone, using the best-quality studies cannot be used to accurately rule. However, a negative result at < or = 5 mm cut-off level measuring both endometrial layers in the presence of endometrial pathology rules out endometrial pathology with good certainty.

Transvaginal sonography and hysteroscopy in postmenopausal uterine bleeding

Objective: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of transvaginal ultrasound and hysteroscopy in the detection of endometrial pathologies in women with postmenopausal bleeding not using hormonal replacement therapy (HRT). Methods: Between January 1997 and April 1998, 106 postmenopausal women with uterine bleeding not using HRT underwent a diagnostic work-up including pelvic examination, transvaginal ultrasound, hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy. Sonographic measurement of endometrial thickness and hysteroscopic findings were compared with histological results. The ‘classification tree’ method was used to identify cut-off values of sonographic endometrial thickness that could be indicative of a class of uterine pathology. Statistical analysis was performed with the McNemar test. Results: No case of endometrial cancer was found with a cut-off point of 5 mm of endometrial thickness evaluated by ultrasound, whereas all patients with endometrial thickness ≥15 mm at sonography had an endometrial carcinoma. In the group of patients with endometrial thickness between 6 and 14 mm, we found normal atrophic endometria, benign and malignant pathology. On the other hand, the McNemar test showed a very good correspondence between hysteroscopy and histology (sensitivity 97.5% and specificity 100%), confirming its usefulness in diagnosis of postmenopausal uterine bleeding. Conclusions: Transvaginal ultrasound has revealed some limitations, mainly in the group of patients with endometrial thickness between 6 and 14 mm. The absence of endometrial malignancy in women with endometrial thickness ≤5 mm and the high possibility of cancer in those with endometrial thickness ≥15 mm should be confirmed in larger series. Hysteroscopy proved to be a simple and safe outpatient procedure with a high diagnostic accuracy, and in our opinion it should be considered in all women with postmenopausal uterine bleeding.

Transvaginal ultrasonography and hysteroscopy in the diagnosis of endometrial abnormalities

To investigate the value of transvaginal ultrasonography, aspiration biopsy, and hysteroscopy combined with curettage or directed biopsy in detecting endometrial pathology in women with abnormal uterine bleeding. Prospective, nonrandomized study. A university-affiliated hospital. One hundred twenty-two premenopausal and 78 postmenopausal women with abnormal uterine bleeding. The women underwent transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) combined with aspiration Pipelle biopsy. They were scheduled for hysteroscopy and endometrial sampling by curettage or directed biopsy within 4 weeks. Ultrasonographic findings were evaluated on the basis of final diagnoses established by hysteroscopy and histologic examination. The endometrium was measured at its thickest part in the longitudinal plane. In premenopausal women, endometrial thickness was measured during the early proliferative phase of the cycle. Ultrasound examination was considered negative if single-layer thickness was less than 5 mm in the absence of endometrial projections. In all other cases it was classified as positive. For postmenopausal women the cutoff point was 4 mm (single layer). In postmenopausal women with endometrial thickness less than 4 mm, as well as in premenopausal patients with negative TVS, the combination of TVS and aspiration biopsy missed only one case of atypical hyperplasia. In premenopausal patients TVS clearly detected 73% of polyps and myomata, permitting diagnostic and surgical hysteroscopy to be performed at the same time. In postmenopausal women with endometrial thickness 4 mm or greater, aspiration biopsy failed to detect two cases of atypical hyperplasia and one of focal adenocarcinoma. Pipelle sampling was technically infeasible in a woman with endometrial cancer because of a stenotic cervix. It also missed the majority of benign lesions (polyps and myomas). Transvaginal ultrasound seems to be an excellent initial diagnostic method, with high sensitivity in diagnosing endometrial abnormalities. Its combination with aspiration biopsy seems to be safe in women with a thin endometrium. Hysteroscopy is necessary in postmenopausal women with an endometrium of 4 mm or more, as well as in premenopausal patients with endometrial thickness more than 5 mm (preovulatory phase of the cycle) and in those with suspected polyps or myomas.

Endometrial sonographic and histologic findings in women with and without hormonal replacement therapy suffering from postmenopausal bleeding.

To evaluate, in women with postmenopausal bleeding, the effect of hormonal replacement (HRT) therapy on the endometrial thickness as measured by transvaginal sonography in relation to endometrial histology. 1110 women with sequential/progestin treatment (E + P) (n = 202), with Estriol treatment (n = 149) or without HRT (n = 759) and postmenopausal bleeding were examined by transvaginal sonography (TVS) prior to curettage, with special reference to the relation of endometrial thickness to its histopathology. The distribution of endometrial pathology was different in those women with E + P and Estriol compared with those without HRT. Endometrial pathology was found most frequently in women with an endometrium exceeding 8 mm in thickness. Furthermore, the incidence was found to increase with increasing endometrial thickness in all treatment groups. Atrophy was found significantly more often in women without HRT. Hormonal effects on the endometrium were found significantly more often in women with E + P and Estriol. Endometrial hyperplasia was found most commonly in women with Estriol in the thickness group 5 8 mm (P < 0.001) as compared to those with HRT and without HRT. Endometrial cancer occurs most in women without HRT, in those women with an endometrium exceeding 8 mm in thickness as compared both to the E + P (P < 0.001) group and to the Estriol (P < 0.001) group. Endometrial cancer did not occur in any woman (with E + P, Estriol or without HRT) with an endometrial thickness of < or = 4 mm. TVS is of value for excluding endometrial pathology in women with HRT and postmenopausal bleeding. The distribution of endometrial findings and histopathological diagnosis in women with abnormal postmenopausal bleeding was different in women with E + P than in women without HRT. Furthermore, the cut-off for excluding endometrial abnormalities is the same in both groups i.e. < or = 4 mm.

Endometrial thickness as measured by transvaginal sonography: interobserver variation.

Transvaginal sonography of the uterus has become an important tool for diagnosing endometrial pathology in women with postmenopausal bleeding. One parameter that has been claimed to be important for curly detection of endometrial pathology in this group of women is the endometrial thickness. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reproducibility of measurements of endometrial thickness as performed by five inexperienced doctors and one doctor experienced in the transvaginal sonography technique. The endometrial thickness as measured by the experienced doctor was regarded as the 'true measurement', and the mean discrepancy from this true measurement was 1.5 mm for the inexperienced doctors. No endometrial pathology was found at the histopathological examination after dilatation and curettage (D & C) when the endometrial thickness was measured as <or= 4 mm by both the inexperienced and the experienced doctors. However, there were considerable differences between the results obtained by the five inexperienced doctors. If this method is to be used for identifying those women who will not have a D & C performed, based on the findings of a thin endometrium (<or= 4 mm), training is needed in order to minimize the error. We believe that this will make measurement more accurate and it may then be used to exclude endometrial abnormality in women with postmenopausal bleeding.