RELATIONSHIP OF ENDOMETRIAL THICKNESS AND SONOGRAPHIC ECHO PATTERN TOENDOMETRIOSIS IN NON-IN VITRO FERTILIZATION CYCLES

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of endometri osis on the proliferation of the endometrium as determined by sonograp hic measurements of endometrial thickness and echo pattern at peak fol licular maturation. A prospective study of 60 infertility patients was conducted in which the endometrium was evaluated sonographically, bot h before and after laparoscopy. Prior to laparoscopy, the mean endomet rial thickness was 10.5 +/- 1.9 mm in the group without endometriosis (n = 20) and 11.7 +/- 2.8 mm in the group with endometriosis (n = 40) (p > 0.05). Following the laparoscopy, there was no change in the mean thickness within each group. The incidence of an unfavorable echo pat tern was negligible in both groups. Endometriosis does not cause a red uction in endometrial thickness, nor does it appear to influence the d evelopment of an unfavorable echo pattern at time of peak follicular m aturation.