Endometrial thickness after menopause: effect of hormone replacement

Ultrasound (US) images of the pelvis were evaluated in 112 asymptomatic postmenopausal women to investigate the normal range of endometrial thickness (double-layer measurement) and the effect of hormone replacement on these measurements. Twenty-one patients (19%) had endometrial thickness greater than 0.8 cm. One patient, with an endometrial thickness of 2.5 cm, had endometrial carcinoma. Consideration of the known actions of estrogen and progestogen on the endometrium led the authors to believe that the clinical significance of an endometrium measuring more than 0.8 cm depends on the patient's hormonal status. Among asymptomatic postmenopausal women with an endometrial thickness between 0.8 and 1.5 cm, those receiving unopposed estrogen or continuous estrogen and progestogen need to undergo dilatation and curettage (D&C) or biopsy and those receiving no hormones or receiving sequential estrogen and progestogen should be encouraged to undergo D&C or biopsy. If a patient in one of the latter two groups is unwilling to undergo an invasive procedure, then US examination at 3-month intervals is acceptable. Any patient with endometrial thickness of at least 1.5 cm should undergo histologic diagnosis, regardless of symptoms or hormone status.