REPRODUCIBILITY OF TRANSVAGINAL ULTRASONOGRAPHIC MEASUREMENTS OF ENDOMETRIAL THICKNESS IN PATIENTS WITH POSTMENOPAUSAL BLEEDING

The aim of the study was to establish the reproducibility of transvagi nal sonographic measurements of endometrial thickness in patients with postmenopausal bleeding (PMB). In a prospective blind study, two exam iners measured the endometrial thickness in 48 patients presenting wit h PMB by transvaginal sonography on two separate occasions, 30 min apa rt. The analysis of variance performed at each endometrial thickness m easured by the two examiners revealed no statistical difference. Howev er, it was shown that the most accurate measurements are up to the lev el of 4 mm (mean deviation of 0.1 +/- 0.2 mm, range 0.7). Once the end ometrial thickness reaches 5-6 mm the mean deviation becomes 0.3 +/- 1 .2 mm with a range of variation of 4 mm. In conclusion, measurements o f endometrial thickness in patients presenting with PMB can be repeate d quite accurately up to a level of 4 mm thickness.