Vaginosonography for early detection of endometrial carcinoma?

Abstract

In 103 women with postmenopausal bleeding and 283 postmenopausal women without bleeding maximum endometrial thickness was measured by vaginosonography. All patients with postmenopausal bleeding and all women without atypical bleeding but with an endometrium thicker than 4 mm or with some other indication for further investigation underwent curettage. The curettings were examined histologically. All histologically classified endometrial carcinomas were associated with an endometrial thickness of at least 4 mm. Endometrial cancer was found in 12.6% in the postmenopausal bleeding group (n = 103) and in 3.5% in the symptom-free group (n = 283). Vaginosonography is thus a good method of screening for uterine neoplasms in presymptomatic women--those with endometrial thickness of 4 mm or greater should undergo curettage and histological examination.