Ultrasonographic and pathological endometrial findings in asymptomatic postmenopausal women taking antihypertensive drugs.
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether abnormal sonographic endometrial findings are more frequent in asymptomatic postmenopausal women receiving anti-hypertensive drugs than in normotensive women.


METHODS
A prospective study on 187 postmenopausal asymptomatic normotensive (group A) and 182 postmenopausal asymptomatic women receiving anti-hypertensive drugs (group B) was performed. All patients were evaluated initially by transvaginal ultrasound and endometrial sampling (Pipelle device). Those women with abnormal sonographic findings (endometrial thickness > or =5 mm or heterogeneous echogenicity) or abnormal endometrial sampling results underwent hysteroscopy and guided biopsy.


RESULTS
Patients in group B had significantly higher percentage of endometrial thickness > or =5 mm (26.9 vs. 12.8%, P<0.001) and heterogeneous endometria (23.1 vs. 12.8%, P<0.001) than in group A. Patients in group B had a significantly higher incidence of endometrial polyps (17.6 vs. 9.6%, P<0.001) too. These findings were not associated with the type of anti-hypertensive drug taken and were independent of the body mass index.


CONCLUSIONS
Postmenopausal hypertensive asymptomatic women receiving pharmacological anti-hypertensive therapy show a higher percentage of abnormal sonographic endometrial findings than normotensive women.
Martínez-Rubio
Maria Pilar
MP
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital Virgen del Camino, Pamplona, Spain.
Alcázar
Juan Luis
JL
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001706:Biopsy; D004717:Endometrium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents