title: Endometrial polyps: when to resect?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of malignant and premalignant endometrial polyps and to investigate the association of malignancy with specific factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study of women submitted to hysteroscopic resection of endometrial polyps between January 2005 and July 2013 at a university hospital in southern Brazil. Data regarding clinical characteristics and pathology findings were collected from patient charts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 359 patients, 87.2% had benign polyps and 9.9% had hyperplasia without atypia. Atypical hyperplasia was found in 2.6% of the sample. Endometrial adenocarcinoma was found in one woman (0.3%). A correlation was observed between malignant/premalignant polyps and patient age, menopausal status, and uterine bleeding. All patients with malignancies/premalignancies had abnormal uterine bleeding. Higher frequency of malignant polyps was observed in tamoxifen users, however, without statistical significance (p = 0.059%). Malignancy was not correlated with arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, hormone therapy, endometrial thickness, and polyp diameter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Malignant/premalignant findings had low prevalence and were absent in asymptomatic patients. From the data of this retrospective study, it is unclear whether routine polypectomy should be performed in asymptomatic patients. Further prospective studies including larger numbers of patients are required to guide treatment recommendations.
authors: Master's Program in Medical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. juliazevedo@hotmail.com.|Menopause Outpatient Clinic, Obstetrics and Gynecology Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. juliazevedo@hotmail.com.
authors: Julia Marques da Rocha
authors: JM
authors: de Azevedo
authors: School of Medicine, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors: Ligia Marques da Rocha
authors: LM
authors: de Azevedo
authors: School of Medicine, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors: Fernando
authors: F
authors: Freitas
authors: Master's Program in Medical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|School of Medicine, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Menopause Outpatient Clinic, Obstetrics and Gynecology Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors: Maria Celeste Osorio
authors: MC
authors: Wender
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015907:Hysteroscopy; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D011127:Polyps / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Endometrial polyps; Hysteroscopy; Malignancy; Menopause; Uterine bleeding