ENDOMETRIAL BLOOD-FLOW ANALYSIS IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN - CAN IT HELPDIFFERENTIATE BENIGN FROM MALIGNANT CAUSES OF ENDOMETRIAL THICKENING

PURPOSE: To determine if prominent vascularity and low pulsatility ind ex (PI) and resistive index (RI) in endometrial arteries help differen tiate carcinoma from benign lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five postmenopausal women with at least 8-mm-thick endometrium at endovagi nal ultrasound (US) underwent color duplex Doppler endovaginal US of t he endometrium. PI and RI values were recorded from arterial waveforms generated in areas of increased vascularity. RESULTS: At color duplex Doppler endovaginal. US, endometrial arterial flow was seen in 23 of 36 (64%) proved benign endometrial lesions. The range of PIs for benig n lesions was 0.31-1.77 (mean, 0.72 +/- 0.33 [standard deviation]) and for RIs was 0.27-0.84 (mean, 0.48 +/- 0.13). Arterial vessels were se en in five of nine proved endometrial cancers (56%); the range of PIs was 0.42-1.17 (mean, 0.71 +/- 0.32) and for RIs was 0.34-0.69 (mean, 0 .48 +/- 0.15). Differences in mean PI and RI for benign and malignant lesions were not significant. CONCLUSION: Low-impedance arterial flow is observed in various diseases of the endometrium, and there is an ov erlap between the PI and RI of benign and malignant lesions.