title: Evaluation of the endometrial cavity during menopause.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas e Assistência em Reprodução Humana, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maia
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Farias
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Ladipo
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Coutinho
mesh_terms: 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