The Role of the Mirena Intrauterine Device in the Management of Endometrial Polyps: A Pilot Study

To study the hypothesis that the levonorgestrel intrauterine device (LNG-IUD) can have a role in the treatment of endometrial polyps confirmed at outpatient hysteroscopy in premenopausal women.

Canadian Task Force classification level II1 (a controlled trial that is not randomised).

Outpatient hysteroscopy.

Premenopausal women who had a polyp diagnosed at outpatient hysteroscopy.

Premenopausal women who had a polyp diagnosed at outpatient hysteroscopy and had a LNG-IUD inserted were booked for general anesthesia hysteroscopy and polypectomy through the standard booking process. A contemporaneous control was taken sequentially from the outpatient hysteroscopy database to match the case.

The presence of a polyp at hysteroscopy under general anesthesia. A total of 39 patients were included in the study, with 19 in the intervention group and 20 in the control group. The mean age was 43.6 (standard deviation = 5.6) and 43.2 (standard deviation = 8.1) years in the 2 groups, respectively. No difference was found in the time interval between the 2 procedures in the intervention and control groups (mean = 92 vs 84 days, p = .73). However, the proportion of polyps present at the second procedure was significantly higher in the control group (80% vs 37%; relative risk = 2.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.16-4.07; p = .0062).

Our case-control study found that the LNG-IUD can have a role in the treatment of polyps for women who have heavy menstrual bleeding. This is the first study to show regression of endometrial polyps after treatment with LNG-IUD by direct visualisation at hysteroscopy.