Investigating abnormal bleeding on HRT or tamoxifen: the role of ultrasonography

Screening for uterine tumours

The most prevalent uterine tumours are leiomyomas, which are benign and have a prevalence of about 50% at menopause. The incidence of endometrial cancer and uterine sarcomas is about 25 per 100,000 and 0.7 per 100,000, respectively. Reported risk factors for endometrial cancer are advanced age, unopposed oestrogen stimulation, late menopause, obesity, diabetes mellitus, nulliparity, feminising ovarian tumours, polycystic ovarian syndrome, tamoxifen and belonging to a hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer family. Unopposed oestrogen stimulation and tamoxifen have also been confirmed to induce uterine sarcomas. Cervical cytology, endometrial sampling and ultrasound have been proposed in the early diagnosis of endometrial cancer. No pathognomonic ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography features are able to differentiate between a leiomyoma and a uterine sarcoma, and reliable serum markers for sarcomas are lacking. To date, mass screening for uterine malignancies is not feasible or effective.

Sonohysterographic endometrial sampling and hysteroscopic endometrial biopsy: a comparative study

OBJECTIVES

To compare the quantity and quality of endometrial tissue sampled at saline contrast sonohysterography (SCSH) with that obtained by directed endometrial biopsy by operative hysteroscopy in patients with diffusely thickened and/or inhomogeneous endometrium at SCSH. A secondary aim was a comparison of the extent of procedure-related pain.

METHODS

One hundred and twenty-eight patients with diffusely thickened (> 4 mm) and/or inhomogeneous endometrium at SCSH were prospectively recruited. Endometrial sampling was performed at the end of SCSH using the same 4.7-mm intrauterine catheter that had been used for saline instillation. These samples were compared to directed endometrial biopsies obtained with the guidance of an office 5-mm hysteroscope. After hysteroscopy, an extended guided curettage was performed under general anesthesia, providing specimens that were considered the gold standard for histological diagnosis. Endometrial specimen area (mm(2)), histologic concordance and procedure related pain (10-cm VAS) were compared for the two techniques.

RESULTS

The median age of 88 pre- and of 40 post-menopausal patients was 41 (interquartile range, 34-48) years and 57 (interquartile range, 52-67) years, respectively. The median area of endometrial specimen obtained by SCSH was 25.1 (interquartile range, 12.4-52.3) mm(2) and was not significantly different from that obtained by hysteroscopy (16.9 (interquartile range, 10.0-52.7) mm(2)). The K values of the two different techniques for typical hyperplasia (n = 61) and for premalignant and malignant lesions (n = 26) were 0.91 and 0.94, respectively. Procedure-related pain was not significantly different between pre- and postmenopausal patients for both sampling techniques.

CONCLUSIONS

SCSH with sampling proved to be as good as and as tolerable as hysteroscopic biopsy in cases with diffusely thickened and/or inhomogeneous endometrium. Both these imaging and biopsy techniques should be considered a reliable outpatient procedure in the management of patients with abnormal uterine bleeding. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A 5-year study on the effect of hormone therapy, tibolone and raloxifene on vaginal bleeding and endometrial thickness

OBJECTIVES

To study the effect of standard and low-dose estrogen-progestin therapy (EPT), tibolone and raloxifene on the incidence of vaginal spotting/bleeding and endometrial thickness over a 5-year period.

METHODS

Seven hundred eighty-six postmenopausal women were studied in an open prospective design. Vaginal spotting/bleeding and endometrial thickness as assessed by transvaginal ultrasonography was compared between six categories of women over a 5-year period: three categories in women on continuous combined estrogen-progestin therapy, one category under tibolone, one category under raloxifene and one under no treatment. More specifically, women received tibolone 2.5 mg (N = 204), raloxifene HCl 60 mg (N = 137), conjugated equine estrogens 0.625 mg/medroxyprogesterone acetate 5mg (N = 122), 17beta-estradiol 2mg/norethisterone acetate 1mg (N = 58), 17beta-estradiol 1mg/norethisterone acetate 0.5mg (N = 76) or no therapy (controls, N = 189). Women with suspected endometrial pathology were referred for hysteroscopy.

RESULTS

Bleeding/spotting incidence was highest among standard dose EPT users (conjugated equine estrogens 0.625 mg/medroxyprogesterone acetate 5mg: 40.1%, 17beta-estradiol 2mg/norethisterone acetate 1mg: 44.8%, p < 0.001 compared to controls). Low-dose EPT associated with lower incidence of spotting/bleeding (34.1%). The incidence under tibolone and raloxifene was 22.5% and 2.9%, respectively, while 3.2% of women not receiving therapy reported vaginal spotting/bleeding. Mean endometrial thickness was not significantly affected in any of the groups studied. The drop-out rate due to spotting/bleeding was higher in the two higher dose EPT regimens. After logistic regression analysis, age at baseline was the only significant predictor of subsequent spotting/bleeding (b = -0.25, S.E. = 0.09, p = 0.006), while menopausal age and pre-treatment serum FSH had marginal significance.

CONCLUSIONS

EPT, tibolone and raloxifene do not appear to associate with significant changes in endometrial thickness in the majority of cases. The low-dose EPT regimen associated with a decreased incidence of unscheduled spotting/bleeding compared to the standard dose regimens. Tibolone expressed a favorable endometrial profile, as seen in its effect on unscheduled spotting/bleeding and mean endometrial thickness. Raloxifene associated with the lowest incidence in S/B and the lowest drop-out rate.s.