title: The endometrium on routine contrast-enhanced CT in asymptomatic postmenopausal women: avoiding errors in interpretation.
abstract: We studied 54 asymptomatic postmenopausal women to characterize normal contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) appearance of endometrium. Endometrium was visualized in 26 out of 54 (48.1%) women, and when seen its mean short-axis thickness was 7.5 mm. The anteroposterior thickness varied directly with uterine angulation (P<.05). Endometrial attenuation was significantly less than that of the myometrium (P<.05). Endometrial thickness (short axis) and attenuation were inversely correlated to patient age and to years after menopause (P<.05). We believe that our findings will help prevent overdiagnosis of endometrial fluid or thickening in asymptomatic women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, 7th Floor Main Building, 132 South Tenth Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107-5244, USA.
authors.forename: Philip S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Levon N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Nazarian
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Wechsler
authors.forename: Alfred B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Kurtz
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Parker
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003287:Contrast Media; D004717:Endometrium / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014591:Uterine Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media