Diagnostic hysteroscopy after postmenopausal uterine bleeding

Hysteroscopy was done immediately before diagnostic fractional curettage in 93 patients with postmenopausal uterine bleeding, as well as in 84 control patients with premenopausal abnormal uterine bleeding. About 13% of patients in both groups were receiving hormonal therapy, while patients with intra-uterine devices were excluded from the study. Bleeding within the uterine cavity obscured the view at hysteroscopy in 3,6% of premenopausal patients, but in none of the postmenopausal patients. Comparison of the final diagnoses in the two groups revealed more endometrial polyps and carcinoma in the postmenopausal patients. However, no tissue for histological examination was obtained at fractional curettage in 28% of the postmenopausal patients, compared with only 4,8% of premenopausal patients (P less than 0,0001). Thus the combined use of hysteroscopy and fractional curettage significantly improves diagnostic accuracy in postmenopausal patients.