Ultrasonographic and pathological endometrial findings in asymptomatic postmenopausal women taking antihypertensive drugs. Scientific Publication

Objectives
To assess whether abnormal sonographic endometrial findings are more frequent in asymptomatic postmenopausal women receiving anti-hypertensive drugs than in normotensive women.

Methods
A prospective study on 187 postmenopausal asymptomatic normotensive (group A) and 182 postmenopausal asymptomatic women receiving anti-hypertensive drugs (group B) was performed. All patients were evaluated initially by transvaginal ultrasound and endometrial sampling (Pipelle device). Those women with abnormal sonographic findings (endometrial thickness > or =5 mm or heterogeneous echogenicity) or abnormal endometrial sampling results underwent hysteroscopy and guided biopsy.

Results

Patients in group B had significantly higher percentage of endometrial thickness > or =5 mm (26.9 vs. 12.8%, P<0.001) and heterogeneous endometria (23.1 vs. 12.8%, P<0.001) than in group A. Patients in group B had a significantly higher incidence of endometrial polyps (17.6 vs. 9.6%, P<0.001) too. These findings were not associated with the type of anti-hypertensive drug taken and were independent of the body mass index.

Conclusions
Postmenopausal hypertensive asymptomatic women receiving pharmacological anti-hypertensive therapy show a higher percentage of abnormal sonographic endometrial findings than normotensive women.

CITATION  Maturitas. 2003 Sep 25;46(1):27-32.  doi: 10.1016/s0378-5122(03)00160-9.