Evaluation of the endometrial cavity during menopause.
OBJECTIVE
To compare transvaginal sonography (TVS), hysteroscopy and suction curettage in the evaluation of uterine bleeding during the menopause.


METHODS
Forty-seven patients who presented with either postmenopausal bleeding (31 cases) or sonographic endometrial abnormalities at menopause (16 cases) were evaluated using TVS, hysteroscopy, and curettage with a Karman curette.


RESULTS
When endometrial thickness measured by TVS was < 4 mm, there was no endometrial pathology. However TVS could not differentiate accurately between hyperplasia, polyps or endometrial carcinoma. In these cases, endometrial thickness was invariably greater than 5 mm.


CONCLUSIONS
Hysteroscopy proved superior to curettage in the diagnosis of endometrial polyps.
Maia
H
H
Centro de Pesquisas e Assistência em Reprodução Humana, Bahia, Brazil.
Barbosa
I C
IC
Farias
J P
JP
Ladipo
O A
OA
Coutinho
E M
EM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001284:Atrophy / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004107:Dilatation and Curettage; D004714:Endometrial Hyperplasia / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015907:Hysteroscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D011127:Polyps / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology