THE SONOGRAPHIC PICTURE OF ENDOMETRIAL CANCER

In this prospective study 571 patients with postmenopausal bleeding/discharge (group I) and 300 patients without symptoms (group II) were ultrasonographicaly examined. The sonographic findings were compared with those of histology to evaluate the value of ultrasonography in endometrium diagnosis. The main parameters which we considered in the diagnosis of malignancy of the endometrium, were the thickness of the endometrium, the boundary of the endometrium, homogeneity and collection of fluid in the uterine cavity. However, the size of the uterus and the central endometrial echo were found not to be sensitive signs of malignancy. The sensitivity of sonography in group I was 86.3 % higher than group II which is 75 %. The rate of false- positive and false-negative in the total study population was 7.1 %. We believe that ultrasonography is the easiest, most painless, outpatient based and non-invasive diagnostic method in comparison to all other endometrium diagnostic measures, and is an advance towards better approach in the early diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma.