title: Error in histologic dating of secretory endometrium: variance component analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the extent and sources of imprecision in histologic dating of the endometrial biopsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Duplicate endometrial biopsies from 25 women were dated by five evaluators on two separate occasions to evaluate the overall precision of the measure. Using variance component analysis, estimates of intrauterine, intraevaluator, and interevaluator variability were determined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Samples were obtained during outpatient fertility testing. Evaluators were colleagues at the same institution.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women presenting with infertility undergoing routine evaluation.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Variability in histologic dating of the endometrium.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Inconsistencies between evaluators accounted for 65% of the observed variability, whereas 27% was because of inconsistencies in duplicate readings by the same evaluator. Regional differences in the uterus accounted for only 8% of the total variability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall error from these sources have the potential to result in a substantial false-positive rate for diagnosis of luteal phase defect.
authors.affiliation: University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Badger
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Byrn
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Korson
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Trainer
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001706:Biopsy / Q000592:standards*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology*; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008183:Luteal Phase / Q000502:physiology; D015588:Observer Variation