Evaluation of ultrasound in an outpatient hysteroscopy clinic: does it alter management in premenopausal women?

Objective

To assess the role of ultrasound with respect to management decisions in premenopausal women with abnormal uterine bleeding attending an outpatient hysteroscopy clinic.

Design

Retrospective analysis of ultrasound and hysteroscopic findings, in 264 women referred with abnormal uterine bleeding.

Setting

Outpatient hysteroscopy clinic in a busy district general hospital.

Results

In situations where hysteroscopy findings were normal, additional information gained from a preliminary ultrasound did not affect management decisions. No malignant adnexal pathology was detected, and ultrasound assessment of the endometrium did not correlate well with either hysteroscopic or histological findings.

Conclusion

Ultrasound findings do not alter management decisions in this situation. The presence of irregular bleeding, and patients' prior expectations, are more significant determinants.