TRANSVAGINAL SONOGRAPHY OF THE ENDOMETRIUM IN SOUTH INDIAN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Endometrial carcinoma is not commonly seen in India as in the West. Ne vertheless, the diagnosis has to be entertained in women presenting wi th postmenopausal bleeding. The aim of the study was to compare the tr ansvaginal sonographically-measured endometrial thickness with the his topathological diagnosis in postmenopausal women. Eighty postmenopausa l women were studied prospectively. All of them underwent transvaginal sonography followed by either an office dilatation and curettage and/ or a hysterectomy. Eight women had endometrial carcinoma and their mea n endometrial thickness was 12.6 +/- 5 mm (mean +/- SD). Taking 4 mm e ndometrial thickness as cut off the sensitivity of transvaginal scan t o detect endometrial pathology was 97%, specificity 98%, positive pred ictive value 97% and negative predictive value 94%. Hence, we conclude that measurement of endometrial thickness by transvaginal scan is a g ood screening test in postmenopausal women for differentiating endomet rial pathology from those who do not have an endometrial lesion.