title: Endometrial hysteroscopic and histological evaluation in menopausal women in continuous use of raloxifene.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effect of raloxifene on endometrial histopathology of menopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one patients under raloxifene treatment (60 mg/day) for a six-month period and submitted to diagnostic videohysteroscopy at the Climateric Outpatients Clinic, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual Francisco Morato de Oliveira, in the city of São Paulo, and at Hospital Guilherme Álvaro, in the city of Santos, from September 10th, 2003 to June 22nd, 2004, were analyzed. Guided endometrial biopsy was performed on all patients on the anterior wall, using a 3-mm or 5-mm biopsy forceps. A 3-mm or 5-mm hysteroscope was used with TV imaging by an endocamera. The results of the hysteroscopic tests were compared before and six months after the use of raloxifene.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The comparison between both biopsies was performed by means of the McNemar's test (marginal homogeneity test), and showed a descriptive level of 0.001 that indicates difference between the estrogen effects assessed at different moments. The estrogen effect on the endometrial tissue did not increase in any of the 31 patients analyzed. Twenty-one patients (68%) showed smaller estrogen effect in the final evaluation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study showed no evidence of endometrial stimulation of raloxifene and, in fact, many women presented less estrogen effect after its use.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Assistência Médica ao Servidor Público Estadual - IAMSPE, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vanessa Maria Caetano
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual "Francisco Morato de Oliveira" - HSPE-FMO, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Braz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Martorelli Filho
authors.affiliation: Department of Woman, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Metropolitana de Santos - UNIMES, Santos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz Roberto Araujo
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Metropolitana de Santos - UNIMES, Santos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Umberto Gazi
authors.initials: UG
authors.lastname: Lippi