TRANSVAGINAL COLOR DOPPLER ASSESSMENT OF ENDOMETRIAL STATUS IN NORMALPOSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN - THE EFFECT OF HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY

We used transvaginal color Doppler sonography to study the effects of hormone replacement therapy on the endometrial structure and vascular flow of 345 normal postmenopausal women. We studied women taking estro gen replacement alone, continuous combined estrogen and progestogen, a nd estrogen followed sequentially by estrogen-progestogen combination. Endometrial measurements prior to the initiation of hormone replaceme nt therapy were used as baseline values. An increase in endometrial th ickness was seen soon after initiation of hormone replacement therapy (P < 0.0001). Hyperplasia or adenocarcinoma was found only when endome trial thickness was greater than 9 mm. No correlation was found betwee n hormone replacement therapy and the occurrence of endometrial hyperp lasia or adenocarcinoma.