Cyto-histologic evaluation of the endometrium in climacteric women at risk for endometrial carcinoma

The authors evaluated the diagnostic effectiveness of a triple specimen technique (cyto-histologic) performed by the Perma device. The incidence of endometrial hyperplasia (according to Dallenbach-Hellweg's classification) was estimated in 254 climacteric women selected from outpatients who come spontaneously to the Menopause Clinic of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department (Bologna University). The selection criterion was the evidence of risk factors for endometrial carcinoma, climacteric bleedings (obesity, late menopause, high blood pressure, diabetes), or endometriotropic estrogen therapy in the postmenopause. Results showed that the cyto-histologic sampling is most useful for diagnosing endometrial hyperplasia and early carcinoma (diagnostic effectiveness: 89.0-93.8%). Also, endometrial hyperplasia was found to have a significant incidence in the group we examined. This incidence was highest in women with climacteric bleedings, secondly in women using high-dose estrogens, and thirdly in women with risk factors for endometrial carcinoma. When evaluating the different kinds of endometrial hyperplasia, we never found adenomatous hyperplasia in women on estrogen therapy. Affinity between histologic and cytologic classes was around 50% in endometrial hyperplasia and 100% in early carcinoma. This emphasizes that both samplings are needed to perform an accurate diagnosis.