[Echography and hysteroscopy. 2 diagnostic technics compared in the identification of endometrial lesions in the postmenopause].
METHODS
In this study we compared ultrasonographic scanning of the endometrium and the hysteroscopic view with histology obtained by endometrial biopsy.


RESULTS
Forty six postmenopausal women were studied, 25 symptomatic and 21 asymptomatic. In 24 cases endometrial thickness was > 5 mm, it was considered abnormal, and in 12 cases was < 5 mm. Hysteroscopy detects the presence of 7 atrophic endometrium, 19 polyps, 8 myomas, 4 cancer, 5 synechiae. Echography had a sensitivity of 90.9%, specificity of 72% and positive predictive value of 90.9%. Hysteroscopy showed a sensitivity of 96.7%, a specificity of 92.8% and a positive predictive value of 96.8%.


CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion we may suggest that TV scanning allows detection of endometrial pathology with a high sensitivity so it may be used as the first diagnostic step in the screening of postmenopausal women, but it should be completed by hysteroscopic evaluation when endometrial thickness is > 5 mm also in asymptomatic women in order to detect cancer in a early stage.
Salmaggi
P
P
Associazione Fondazione Italiana per lo Studio della Menopausa, Roma.
Costanza
L
L
Bonaventura
A
A
Ciminelli
C
C
D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020702:Hysteroscopes; D015907:Hysteroscopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
Ecografia e isteroscopia. Due tecniche diagnostiche a confronto nell'identificazione delle lesioni endometriali in postmenopausa.