Endometrial thickness as measured by endovaginal ultrasonography for identifying endometrial abnormality

Article Abstract:

When women experience vaginal bleeding after menopause, curettage (scraping the uterus, then evaluating the material removed for disease) has long been the most common technique for diagnosing endometrial cancer (cancer of the uterine lining), of which bleeding is a symptom. However, curettage is expensive and anxiety-producing; in addition, a large proportion of procedures (70 percent) lead to the diagnosis of a nonmalignant condition. However, false-negative results (failure to detect cancer when it is really present) range from 2 to 6 percent with curettage. It is possible that measurement of endometrial thickness (thickness of the uterine lining) with ultrasonography, a noninvasive method, could be an acceptable alternative diagnostic approach. To evaluate this, 205 women with postmenopausal bleeding underwent endovaginal ultrasonography (which allows the endometrium to be measured), followed by curettage. Histopathologic diagnoses were performed on the curetted specimens. Thirty postmenopausal women without vaginal bleeding but who needed other gynecological surgical procedures, and an additional 30 women with diagnosed endometrial cancer, were also studied with ultrasound. Results showed that the average endometrial thickness among the 30 patients without vaginal bleeding was 3.2 millimeters, while it was 17.7 millimeters for patients with endometrial carcinoma. Among the women with postmenopausal bleeding of unknown cause, endometrial carcinoma was detected in eight, none of whom had an endometrial thickness less than 9 millimeters. Based on these results, a cut-off level of 5 millimeters for normal postmenopausal endometrial thickness could be utilized. If this cut-off level had been used in this study, 70 percent of the women who had curettage could have avoided this procedure. Larger studies are needed to better evaluate the accuracy of ultrasonography for diagnosing abnormalities of the endometrium. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Usage, Diagnosis, Complications and side effects, Endometrial cancer, Curettage

---

Transvaginal ultrasonography of the endometrium in women with postmenopausal bleeding - a Nordic multicenter study

Article Abstract:

Not all women with postmenopausal bleeding may need to undergo surgery to remove abnormal tissue from the inner lining of the uterus. Curettage, a surgical technique that scrapes tissue out of the uterus, is commonly performed on women who experience abnormal bleeding after menopause. Researchers measured the inner lining of the uterus using ultrasound within the vagina to see if ultrasound could identify diseased tissue. Women with an inner lining measuring four millimeters or less had a very low risk of diseased tissue. These women may not need to undergo curettage .Women with cancer had much thicker uterine linings. The use of noninvasive ultrasound could decrease the number of curettages by identifying women who have normal tissue in the uterus.

Vagina, Vaginal bleeding

---

Uteroplacental and luteal circulation in normal first-trimester pregnancies: Doppler ultrasonographic and morphologic study

Article Abstract:

Blood flow between the human embryo and placenta may occur in the first trimester. Researchers used Doppler ultrasonography to detect blood flow in 64 uncomplicated first trimester pregnancies. The main arteries of the uterus, placental arteries, arteries from embryo to placenta, and corpus luteum were examined. Blood flow speeded up and throbbing of uterine and placental arteries decreased in the first trimester. This finding may disprove earlier theories that blood flow between embryo and placenta does not occur until the second trimester. The corpus luteum may keep its circulation through the first trimester of pregnancy. Blood flow in placental arteries suggests that they may not be blocked by plugs, in contrast to earlier findings.

Physiological aspects, Pregnancy, Placenta, Blood circulation

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Specific immune response against Gardnerella vaginalis hemolysin in patients with bacterial vaginosis. Neighborhood context and reproductive health
• Abstracts: Gene-tweaking animal studies seen as advances for restoring hearing, vision
• Abstracts: High dose exercise does not increase hunger or energy intake in free living males. High-fat foods overcome the energy expenditure induced by high-intensity cycling or running
• Abstracts: Acute feline leukemia virus infection causes altered energy balance and growth inhibition in weanling cats. Early suppression of viremia by ZDV does not alter the spread of feline immunodeficiency virus infection in cats
• Abstracts: Speedier drug approvals; critics ask: is FDA record a result of reform, or just a blip? Generic drugmakers fight patent extensions

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.