title: Long-term histopathologic and morphologic changes after thermal endometrial ablation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To outline long-term histologic features of endometrial ablation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective longitudinal study (Canadian Task Force classification II-3).
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary-care teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-six patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thermal ablation followed by second-look office hysteroscopy with endometrial biopsy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean follow-up time to second-look hysteroscopy after ablation was 33.4 +/- 2,1 months. Complete atrophy, partial adhesions or obliteration of the cavity, and fibrosis were observed at second-look hysteroscopy. Whereas all random biopsies were normal before ablation, biopsies after ablation revealed diminished endometrial glands with necrosis and scarring. The number of endometrial glands was not correlated with amount of bleeding or menstrual pattern. No premalignant or malignant lesions were found after ablation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although efficacy of endometrial ablation is related to initial thermal destruction and correlated with postablation hysteroscopic and histologic findings, endometrial regrowth is an expected development, not a failure of ablation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Akdeniz University Medical School, Antalya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Omur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Taskin
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Onoglu
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inal
authors.forename: Ersadik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Turan
authors.forename: Salih
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sadik
authors.forename: Enver
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vardar
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Postaci
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wheeler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy; D004564:Electrocoagulation; D004717:Endometrium / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015907:Hysteroscopy; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D024162:Second-Look Surgery; D000267:Tissue Adhesions; D014591:Uterine Diseases / Q000209:etiology