An evaluation of sonohysterography and diagnostic hysteroscopy for the assessment of intrauterine pathology.

The availability of advanced hysteroscopic surgical techniques has changed the management of abnormal uterine bleeding. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of transvaginal sonography (TVS), sonohysterography (SH) and diagnostic hysteroscopy (DH) for the preoperative assessment of the uterine cavity. The plan was to investigate 100 patients with abnormal uterine bleeding despite conventional medical treatment. The endpoints were uterine abnormalities detected by operative hysteroscopy and histology, and subjective estimates of discomfort during TVS and SH. A total of 104 patients (aged 26-79 years) were recruited and 98 (94%) underwent all three diagnostic procedures. Uterine abnormalities were present in 52 patients (53%). There were 25 cases with at least one endometrial polyp, 17 with submucous fibroids, seven with endometrial hyperplasia and three with an adenocarcinoma. The overall sensitivity of TVS improved after SH from 67 to 87% and the specificity from 89 to 91%. The positive predictive value increased from 88 to 92% and the negative predictive value from 71 to 86%. The use of SH also improved the quality of information about the location and size of polyps and submucous fibroids. Increased endometrial thickness associated with adenocarcinoma was detected in all cases (three of three) by TVS and in four of seven cases of hyperplasia (five of seven cases after SH). Most patients reported minor discomfort during TVS or SH and no side-effects were apparent. The sensitivity of DH was 90% (92% for polyps, 88% for fibroids); two cases with a polyp, two with a submucous fibroid and one with endometrial hyperplasia were not detected. The use of saline infusion to enhance visualization of the endometrium increases the diagnostic accuracy of transvaginal sonography to approach that of diagnostic hysteroscopy and also provides some additional information. This development has implications for the management of uterine bleeding disorders.