Endometrial polyps, hyperplasia, and carcinoma in postmenopausal women: differentiation with endovaginal sonography.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize endometrial polyps, hyperplasia, and carcinoma with endovaginal ultrasound in postmenopausal women.


METHODS
Seventy-three postmenopausal women with abnormally thick endometria on endovaginal sonograms were retrospectively identified. The endometrial appearance was characterized as hyperechoic, containing cystic spaces, or heterogeneous. The final study group consisted of 68 women, in whom the pathologic and sonographic findings were correlated.


RESULTS
Thirty sonograms showed hyperechoic endometria in women with hyperplasia (n = 8), polyps (n = 4), polyps and hyperplasia (n = 2), or atrophy, proliferative change, mild atypia, or normal endometria (n = 16); 27 sonograms showed cystic spaces in women with polyps (n = 21), carcinoma (n = 1), polyps and hyperplasia (n = 2), or atrophy (n = 3); and 11 sonograms showed heterogeneous endometria in women with endometrial carcinoma (n = 7), atrophy (n = 2), proliferative endometrium (n = 1), or secretory endometrium (n = 1). Cystic spaces were predictive of polyps (P = 1.19 x 10(-10)).


CONCLUSIONS
Endovaginal sonography may be useful for differentiation of endometrial polyps, hyperplasia, and carcinoma.
Hulka
C A
CA
Department of Radiology ACC2, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114.
Hall
D A
DA
McCarthy
K
K
Simeone
J F
JF
D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004714:Endometrial Hyperplasia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011127:Polyps / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017698:Postmenopause; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography