title: Utilizing routine sonohysterography to detect intrauterine pathology before initiating hormone replacement therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the utility of performing routine sonohysterography in conjunction with endometrial thickness measurement for detecting intrauterine pathology in asymptomatic postmenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Asymptomatic postmenopausal women (n = 60, mean age 52.7 +/- 4.5 years, amenorrhea > or = 6 months, follicle stimulating hormone > or = 40 mIU/mL) were evaluated with sonohysterography followed by endometrial biopsy before initiating hormone replacement therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hyperplasia was detected in 5 of 22 (22.7%) patients with endometrial thickness of > 5 mm and in 0 of 38 (0.0%) patients with endometrial thickness of < or = 5 mm. When sonohysterography was performed, intracavitary pathology was discovered in 14 of 38 (36.8%) patients with endometrial thickness of < or = 5 mm (10 polyps, three submucosal myomas, and one septate uterus) and 14 of 22 (63.6%) patients with endometrial thickness of > 5 mm (nine polyps, four submucosal myomas, and one Asherman's syndrome).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endometrial thickness of < or = 5 mm excludes hyperplasia but does not eliminate other intrauterine pathology that may be discovered by sonohysterography.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA.
authors: M A
authors: MA
authors: Cohen
authors: M V
authors: MV
authors: Sauer
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Keltz
authors: S R
authors: SR
authors: Lindheim
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D004717:Endometrium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D019160:Endosonography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D014591:Uterine Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*