Ultrasonographic endometrial thickness for diagnosing endometrial pathology in postmenopausal bleeding

Summary

We conducted this retrospective analysis of our clinical data to identify the incidence of benign endometrial abnormalities, endometrial carcinoma and to find out the endometrial thickness (ET) cut-off point using trans-vaginal ultrasonography for patients with postmenopausal bleeding (PMB) referred to the Rapid Access Clinic in Northampton General Hospital. All women referred between April 2004 and April 2005 with PMB were included in this analysis. Final diagnostic outcome was classified into benign endometrial polyp, endometrial hyperplasia, endometrial carcinoma or normal (by excluding these pathologies). A total of 142 patients were included in this survey. The incidence of abnormal endometrial pathology was found to be 23.9% and 5% for endometrial carcinoma. Our results suggested that benign endometrial pathology is the most common cause of postmenopausal bleeding. Lowering the endometrial thickness cut-off point from 5 mm to 3 mm will not improve the diagnostic accuracy of endometrial carcinoma.

Keywords:

• Postmenopausal bleeding
• endometrial thickness
• ultrasound