Ultrasound Shows Thickened Endometrial Stripe. Necessary To Do D&C?
I am 66 years old and have gone thru menopause . I had a pap test that was normal. I had an ultra sound that measured my endometrial stripe at 1.7 cm. My gyn did an endometrial biopsy which came back normal. Now she wants to do a D and C because of the endometrial stripe is thickened for my age. Is this necessary. Is there a risk for endometrial cancer?
Hi, Thanks for writing in. I agree that your endometrial thickness is too much. Your doctor is rightly concerned & has done a good thing to biopsy your endometrium. This is quite reassuring that your endometrial biopsy is normal This test samples a small fraction of endometrium & is less sensitive then a Hysteroscopy & diagnostic D&C. This I think is the ideal investigation in your case. There is a very small risk of endometrial cancer, but a diagnosis of polyp is more likely. Hope this clears your query. Take care.
Thanks for your question. Your doctor is absolutely on the right track. The endometrial stripe on ultrasound should be less than 0.5 cm during menopause. A 0.5cm or greater endometrial stripe on ultrasound is an indication for biopsy. Unfortunately, an office biopsy may be negative in up to 40% of women who really have pathology. The gold standard for evaluation is a hysteroscopy with D&C to make sure no pathology is missed. Many times, the thickness is due to a benign polyp, but endometrial cancer is a risk in this situation. Make sure to follow through with your recommendations until you can be sure that endometrial cancer is not present. I hope this answers your questions but I am available for further consultation if needed.
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Ultrasound Shows Thickened Endometrial Stripe. Necessary To Do D&C?
Hi, Thanks for writing in. I agree that your endometrial thickness is too much. Your doctor is rightly concerned & has done a good thing to biopsy your endometrium. This is quite reassuring that your endometrial biopsy is normal This test samples a small fraction of endometrium & is less sensitive then a Hysteroscopy & diagnostic D&C. This I think is the ideal investigation in your case. There is a very small risk of endometrial cancer, but a diagnosis of polyp is more likely. Hope this clears your query. Take care.