[Vaginosonographic imaging of the endometrium of postclimacteric females].

Vaginal sonography of the endometrium is a new method of controlling the substitution therapy with oestrogen and progesterone during the postmenopausal period. The advantages of transvaginal ultrasonic diagnosis are that the uterus can be seen from the fornix vaginae, that it is situated at close range, and that the examination can be conducted whether the bladder is filled or not. The differences in thickness and structure of the endometrium, and the limitation to the surrounding myometrium, enable sonographic detection of most of the changes of the endometrium during the postmenopausal period. In our first group of patients, we found an endometrial carcinoma in 2 out of the 60 women with postmenopausal metrorrhagia. The findings were confirmed histologically. Women who have regular bleedings while undergoing hormone therapy during the postmenopausal period, show signs of proliferation in the endometrium under oestrogen therapy and signs of secretion under progesterone therapy.