title: [The ultrasonographic characteristics of the endometrium during the spontaneous ovulatory menstrual cycle].
abstract: Six hundred and four serial transvaginal sonograms were performed in 70 normal and healthy women throughout an ovulatory cycle. The endometrium was classified in 4 types (0, 1, 2 and 3) according to: the aspect of the myometria-endometrium and endometrium-endometrium interfaces, and the texture and thickness of the functional layer. Type 0 appears as a smooth, pencil line endometrium. Type 1 has a trilaminar structure with an iso or hypoechoic functional layer. Type 2 is also trilaminar, but myometria-endometrium interfaces are thicker than type 1. Type 3 appears as a thick and homogeneously echogenic image. The relative frequency of each type of endometrium was determined for every day of the menstrual cycle. Day 0 was defined sonographically as the day of follicle rupture. Type 0 was found during and immediately after menstruation. Type 1 was seen during mid-follicular phase and until day +2. Types 2 and 3 were observed post ovulatory in 100% of the cases. The endometrium increases in thickness more during preovulatory phase (mean: 5.5 mm), than in the luteal phase (mean: 2.6 mm). We conclude that this working classification of the endometrium is useful in clinical practice when associated to the ultrasonographic aspect of the ovaries and the moment of the menstrual cycle.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gormaz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prado
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Duque
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gormaz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsunekawa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cossio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pentz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Uribe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002965:Classification; D004717:Endometrium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D010060:Ovulation; D012016:Reference Values; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography
vernacular_title: Caracterización ultrasonográfica del endometrio durante el ciclo menstrual ovulatorio espontáneo.