title: Sonohysterography for ultrasonographic evaluation of tamoxifen-associated cystic thickened endometrium.
abstract: Most menopausal patients with breast cancer receive tamoxifen therapy. In these patients, TVS may show thickened, irregular cystic endometria. For better visualization of these patients' uterine cavities, we performed transvaginal sonohysterography. During vaginal ultrasonography, sterile saline was introduced by transcervical 8 French Foley catheter into the uterine cavity of 20 women who were referred with tamoxifen-associated cystic thickened endometria. In eight women, transvaginal sonohysterography provided the means to diagnose occult, free-floating endometrial polyps, whereas in 12 women, the fluid contrast augmented the diagnosis of an irregular cystic endometrial-myometrial junction. All 20 patients underwent diagnostic hysteroscopy: eight polyps, none of which were malignant, were confirmed and removed by hysteroscopic resection. Of the remaining 12 patients with an irregular endometrial-myometrial junction, endometrial curettage showed no significant pathologic findings. Transvaginal sonohysterography seems to enhance the differentiation between endometrial polyps that should be resected by operative hysteroscopy and an abnormal endometrial-myometrial junction that may benefit from biopsy sampling only.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001284:Atrophy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D003560:Cysts / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D004717:Endometrium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015907:Hysteroscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D011127:Polyps / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D017698:Postmenopause; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014591:Uterine Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014599:Uterus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D013629:Tamoxifen