The diagnostic value of the Doppler ultrasonography in distinguishing the endometrial malignancies in women with postmenopausal bleeding.

PURPOSE

To investigate the diagnostic value of blood flow measurements in endometrial, myometrial and uterine vasculature by transvaginal Doppler ultrasonography in the differentiation of the neoplastic endometrial pathologies in women with postmenopausal bleeding.

METHODS

106 women who presented with postmenopausal bleeding were enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Endometrial thickness, pulsatility and resistance indices of the uterine, myometrial and endometrial vasculature, endometrial histopathology were measured by transvaginal Doppler sonography. Dilatation and curettage were performed for all women. Sonographic and histopathological results were evaluated.

RESULTS

Endometrial malignancy was diagnosed in 24 of the patients (22.7%). Endometrial thickness was found to be higher in the patients with malign histopathology compared with the patients of benign histopathology. Statistically, uterine artery PI, RI, radial artery PI, spiral artery PI, and RI were also significantly lower in patients with malign histopathology. According to ROC curve analysis the endometrial thickness of 5 mm, uterine artery PI of 1.450, uterine artery RI of 0.715, radial artery PI of 1.060, and radial artery RI of 0.645 were defined as the cut-off points. In multivariate regression model, only uterine artery PI was identified as independent determinant of malignant endometrium.

CONCLUSIONS

Blood flow of uterine artery and also myometrial and endometrial vasculature displayed lower impedance in patients with malignant endometrium, but these lower indices are not already adequate for using as diagnostic tests.