title: [Hysteroscopic evaluation in patients with infertility].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to describe hysteroscopy findings in infertile patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  this was a retrospective series of 953 patients with diagnosis of infertility evaluated by hysteroscopy. A total of 957 patients investigated for infertility were subjected to hysteroscopy, preferentially during the first phase of the menstrual cycle. When necessary, directed biopsies (under direct visualization during the exam) or guided biopsies were obtained using a Novak curette after defining the site to be biopsied during the hysteroscopic examination. Outcome frequencies were determined as percentages, and the χ2 test was used for the correlations. The statistical software EpiInfo 2000 (CDC) was used for data analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  a normal uterine cavity was detected in 436 cases (45.8%). This was the most frequent diagnosis for women with primary infertility and for women with one or no abortion (p<0.05). Abnormal findings were obtained in 517 of 953 cases (54.2%), including intrauterine synechiae in 185 patients (19.4%), endometrial polyps in 115 (12.1%), endocervical polyps in 66 (6.0%), submucosal myomas in 47 (4.9%), endometrial hyperplasia in 39 (4.1%), adenomyosis in five (0.5%), endometritis (with histopathological confirmation) in four (0.4%), endometrial bone metaplasia in two (0.4%), and cancer of the endometrium in one case (0.1%). Morphological and functional changes of the uterus were detected in 5.6% of the cases, including uterine malformations in 32 (3.4%) and isthmus-cervical incompetence in 21 (2.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  intrauterine synechiae were the most frequent abnormal findings in patients evaluated for infertility. Patients with a history of abortion and infertility should be submitted to hysteroscopy in order to rule out intrauterine synechiae as a possible cause of infertility.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Ginecologia, Universidade Federal Fluminense - UFF, Niterói, RJ, Brasil. ricardo@lasmar.com.br
authors.forename: Ricardo Bassil
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Lasmar
authors.forename: Paulo Roberto Mussel
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Barrozo
authors.forename: Raphael Câmara Medeiros
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Parente
authors.forename: Bernardo Portugal
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Lasmar
authors.forename: Daniela Baltar
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: da Rosa
authors.forename: Ivan Araujo
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Penna
authors.forename: Rogério
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dias
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015907:Hysteroscopy; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult