ENDOMETRIAL AND MYOMETRIAL THICKNESS AND UTERINE BLOOD-FLOW IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN - THE INFLUENCE OF HORMONAL REPLACEMENT THERAPY AND AGE

The aim of our study was to assess the age and hormonal influence on e ndometrial and myometrial thickness and uterine blood flow in postmeno pausal women. One hundred and nine healthy postmenopausal women were e xamined by transvaginal ultrasonography and color Doppler ultrasonogra phy. Twenty women (18.4%) were under continuous HRT for at least 1 yea r. In all patients, full thickness of the endometrium and half thickne ss of the myometrium was measured. Pulsed Doppler waveforms were used to calculate the RI for the left and right uterine arteries. Endometri um thickness in the groups without HRT did not change as the years of postmenopause progressed. This was also true for myometrial thickness. The resistance to blood flow in the uterine arteries remained the sam e as the postmenopause progressed, but with each 5 year analysis, the ability to see the uterine arteries decreased. The duration of the the rapy did not affect the measured parameters. The thickness of the endo metrium was larger in the groups with HRT in comparison with all group s without HRT (P < 0.01). Myometrial thickness and uterine blood flow are not affected and did not show any significant influence from HRT. In conclusion, continuous HRT significantly influences the thickness o f the postmenopausal endometrium but not of the myometrium or the uter ine artery blood flow. KEY WORDS: Postmenopause; Hormonal therapy; End ometrium; Myometrial; Uterine artery blood flow.