THE VALUE OF TRANSVAGINAL SONOGRAPHY WITH AND WITHOUT SALINE INSTILLATION IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF UTERINE PATHOLOGY IN PREMENOPAUSAL AND POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN WITH ABNORMAL BLEEDING OR SUSPECT SONOGRAPHIC FINDINGS

In this prospective study, 139 patients, 83 premenopausal patients wit h abnormal uterine bleeding and 56 postmenopausal patients either with metrorrhagia (33) or a suspect sonographic finding (23), were examine d preoperatively with transvaginal sonography (TVS) and saline contras t hysterosonography (SCHS). The histological results, obtained by hyst eroscopy, were compared with the preoperative findings. Uterine pathol ogy (benign polyps, submucous fibroids, endometrial hyperplasia and ca rcinoma) was found in 74.7% and 76.8% of the pre- and post-menopausal patients, respectively. TVS and SCHS are very sensitive at diagnosing uterine pathology, the latter being more specific and enabling better surgical management and a reduction in unnecessary interventions.