ENDOMETRIAL CARCINOMA IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN - EVALUATION BY TRANSVAGINAL COLOR DOPPLER ULTRASONOGRAPHY

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to evaluate the role of transvagin al color Doppler ultrasonography in detecting endometrial carcinoma in postmenopausal women and in evaluating the depth of myometrial invasi on and tumor staging. STUDY DESIGN: A group of 750 postmenopausal wome n were examined by transvaginal color Doppler ultrasonography 1 day be fore the planned hysterectomy. Histopathologic and blood flow characte ristics were evaluated. Analysis of variance was used to test the sign ificance among the subgroups. RESULTS: Thirty-five women had endometri al carcinoma; 32 (91.4%) cases were detected by transvaginal color Dop pler ultrasonography. Visualization of abnormal blood flow within the endometrium was 100% in the diagnosed cases with resistance index near or < 0.40, which constituted a statistically significant difference c ompared with that of endometrial hyperplasia. No flow was detected in normal, atrophic, and in 92% of cases with hyperplastic endometria. Th e color Doppler ultrasonography depicted 18 of 19 histologically prove d cases of myometrial invasion. Three asymptomatic cases were discover ed on the basis of morphologic and blood flow patterns. CONCLUSION: Tr ansvaginal color Doppler ultrasonography can depict endometrial carcin oma, even in asymptomatic women, determine the depth of myometrial inv asion, and help in tumor staging.