Histopathological findings of endometrial specimens in abnormal uterine bleeding

Purpose

The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of different histopathological findings obtained from dilatation and curettage (D&C) specimens in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB).

Methods

In a retrospective review of 591 specimens, the included subjects were all women with AUB who underwent D&C between 2002 and 2006 in Be’sat Hospital, Tehran, Iran. The pathological diagnoses were analyzed in four groups from normal to malignant endometrium. The pathological groups were evaluated for patients’ characteristics including demographic data and medical history.

Results

The majority of patients (61.6 %) were in the 41–50 year age group. Totally, 81.4 % of patients had normal pathology. The disordered proliferative endometrium/polyps, hyperplasia, and malignant pathology were found in 15.4, 2.5, and 0.7 % of specimens, respectively. The abnormal pathologies were seen more among patients with postmenopausal status, nulli-/primigravid women, and those with hypertension, diabetes, hypothyroidism, and polycystic ovary syndrome.

Conclusions

The proliferative endometrium and secretory endometrium were the most common histopathological observations in AUB patients in our region, and except normal endometrium, disordered proliferative endometrium was the most common cause of AUB.