ACOG Committee Opinion No. 440: The Role of Transvaginal Ultrasonography in the Evaluation of Postmenopausal Bleeding.

Abstract

The clinical approach to postmenopausal bleeding requires prompt and efficient evaluation to exclude or diagnose carcinoma. Women with postmenopausal bleeding may be assessed initially with either endometrial biopsy or transvaginal ultrasonography;this initial evaluation does not require performance of both tests.Transvaginal ultrasonography can be useful in the triage of patients in whom endometrial sampling was performed but tissue was insufficient for diagnosis. When transvaginal ultrasonography is performed for patients with postmenopausal bleeding and an endometrial thickness of less than or equal to 4 mm is found, endometrial sampling is not required. Meaningful assessment of the endometrium by ultrasonography is not possible in all patients. In such cases, alternative assessment should be completed. When bleeding persists despite negative initial evaluations, additional assessment usually is indicated.