title: Comparative study of transvaginal ultrasonography and hysteroscopy in postmenopausal bleeding.
abstract: Twenty-eight women with postmenopausal bleeding were retrospectively studied to assess the accuracy of transvaginal sonography (TVS) and hysteroscopy for diagnosing endometrial pathology. TVS was performed in all patients. Considering a cutoff value of < or = 5 mm as normal, TVS showed normal findings in 14 patients (50%) and suggested endometrial abnormalities in other 14 (50%). Hysteroscopy could be performed in 24 patients (85.7%). In 17 (70.2%) cases no abnormality was found; an endometrial polyp was suspected in 6 (25%) and endometrial hyperplasia in 1 (4.8%) patient. All patients underwent endometrial biopsy or dilatation and curettage for histopathologic study. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for TVS and hysteroscopy were 100, 60.8, 35.7, and 100% and 100, 89.4, 71.4, and 100%, respectively. In our experience, both methods were highly sensitive, but hysteroscopy was more specific than TVS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Navarra School of Medicine, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Alcázar
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Laparte
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001284:Atrophy; D001706:Biopsy; D004717:Endometrium / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D015907:Hysteroscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014591:Uterine Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*