Treatment of endometrial polyps

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of different treatments for abnormal uterine bleeding in women with known endometrial polyps. METHODS: We retrospectively assessed the effectiveness of polypectomy and other treatments of women with abnormal uterine bleeding who had benign polyps detected by sonohysterography. Women with endometrial polyps diagnosed by sonohysterography between January 1997 and July 1998 were sent questionnaires on pretreatment and posttreatment uterine bleeding and satisfaction with their treatments. Charts were reviewed to validate questionnaire responses and determine treatments administered. RESULTS: Seventy-eight women had endometrial polyps by sonohysterography, and 60 of them (77%) responded to the questionnaire. Two with endometrial adenocarcinoma were excluded. The average age of the remaining 58 was 49 years; 37 (64%) were premenopausal and 21 (36%) postmenopausal. The average time from treatment to follow-up was 13 months (range 5-24 months). Participants were grouped according to the following treatments: polypectomy, polypectomy plus endometrial ablation, polypectomy plus hysteroscopic myomectomy, hysterectomy, D&C, and nonsurgical treatment. The most frequent treatment was polypectomy (n = 26). Polypectomy, polypectomy plus endometrial ablation, polypectomy plus myomectomy, and hysterectomy each resulted in at least a twofold decrease in the number of bleeding days per month and led to high satisfaction rates. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that simple polypectomy and more invasive surgical procedures led to subjective improvement in symptoms of menorrhagia and metrorrhagia and a high satisfaction rate in women with endometrial polyps.     

Microsatellite instability in endometrial polyps

Objective(s)

To investigate the prevalence of microsatellite instability (MSI) in endometrial polyps and to evaluate whether there are clinical and histopathological parameters associated with this kind of instability.

Study design

Between September 2008 and April 2009, endometrial polyps were collected from 109 patients. MSI was evaluated using the NCI recommended markers BAT25, BAT26, D2S123, D5S346 and D17S250. Histopathological analysis was performed, and clinical information was obtained from patients’ records.

Result(s)

MSI low was detected in 6.4% of the validated samples (7/109). Of the seven MSI that were detected, six were positive for instability at D17S250 and one at D5S346. There were no significant differences between polyps with or without MSI with regard to age, BMI, menarche, parity, miscarriage or menopause; however, MSI was more frequent in polyps with simple hyperplasia without atypia (3/20; 15%). Furthermore, patients with multiple polyps had a marginally but statistically insignificant increase in the frequency of MSI (p < 0.07).

Conclusion(s)

This is the first prospective study of MSI in endometrial polyps using hysteroscopically obtained samples. In a population of 109 patients, MSI was infrequent in endometrial polyps. Although MSI appears to be more frequent in multiple polyps and polyps with simple hyperplasia without atypia, this was not statistically significant.     

Tamoxifen and giant endometrial polyps

Tamoxifen is a synthetic non-steroid anti-estrogen that has been used effectively for several years in the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer. Although its therapeutic effect is due to its anti-estrogenic properties, the drug also shows modest type B estrogen-receptor agonist activity during the menopausal period in which estrogens are at a low level. Owing to the fall in estrogen levels in menopause, tamoxifen provokes an up-regulation of both estrogen and progesterone receptors at an endometrial tissue is a direct consequence of this. This proliferation, which is the result of an inappropriate response of the basal layer and the basis for the onset of hyperplasia and polyps in the tissue. At standard therapeutic dosages, tamoxifen in postmenopausal women is associated with the onset of alterations in the vaginal and endometrial epithelium. Cases of endometrial hyperplasia, endometrial polyps, adenomyosis, endometriosis and fibromyomas are described in the literature. Endometrial polyps represent the most common pathology associated with TAM in women with previous breast cancer in menopause. The estrogenic stimulus to polyps following TAM treatment may be considerable, resulting in their growth to sizeable proportions, causing metrorrhagia and suspected neoplastic pathology. Two cases of patients receiving adjuvant treatment with tamoxifen for previous breast cancer, who presented two giant endometrial polyps of uncommon dimension, are reported.     

Clinicopathologic findings in endometrial polyps

A study of endometrial polyps in biopsy specimens of symptomatic women showed 311 cases in a population of 1305 patients, an incidence of 23.8%. The highest incidence was seen in the fifth decade of life, and approximately one-fifth occurred after menopause. More than half of the subjects complained of metrorrhagia. Nearly half of the endometria exhibited proliferative changes; basal-type polyps accounted for only one-fifth of the total.     

Case report of malignant endometrial polyps

The aims of this retrospective review were to determine the frequency of malignant endometrial polyps diagnosed with ambulatory hysteroscopy in the Obstetrics/ Gynaecology Department of HDE, Lisbon, between January 2001 and December 2005 and to characterize these cases according to risk factors, sonographic and endoscopic findings tumoral histology, and tumor stage. We found seven cases of malignant endometrial polyps in a total of 1333 polyps initially diagnosed: an incidence rate of 0. 53%. These seven patients had a mean age of 68 years (55–82 years), and all were postmenopausal, with five having one risk factor each for endometrial cancer. Metrorrhagia was present in six of the seven patients (85.7%). Ultrasonography was abnormal in all seven patients, with a mean endometrial thickness of 26 mm (range: 12–44 mm). The hysteroscopy images suggested malignancy in all cases. All except one patient had a single polyp. The polyps had volumes between 1.5 and 3 cm; two were removed completely and five were biopsed. The histological subtype was: mixed endometrioid/serous papillary or clear cell (2), adenocarcinoma with squamous differentiation (2), carcinosarcoma (2), and clear cell carcinoma (1). Malignancy inside polyps is rare, but diagnostic hysteroscopy with visual guided biopsies can identify these cases in the earlier stages. The risk factors are not different from those of other endometrial carcinomas, but the histological subtype seems to point to more aggressive cancers.     

Hysteroscopic evaluation of endometrial polyps.

OBJECTIVE: To establish the validity of hysteroscopy for predicting cancer in endometrial polyps based on their number, size and hysteroscopic appearance. METHOD: Retrospective observational study of 653 women diagnosed hysteroscopically as having endometrial polyps. After outpatient or surgical hysteroscopic resection or resection following hysterectomy, the diagnosis was confirmed by histological examination. The incidence of cancer in women who had polyps was determined in the light of menopausal status, symptoms, size, number and appearance of the polyps. RESULT: Carcinoma was found in only 3.9% of the women who consulted for menopausal metrorrhagia and were diagnosed as having a polyp. Hysteroscopy had a sensitivity of 36% and a specificity of 98% for a diagnosis of cancerous polyp or atypical hyperplasia. CONCLUSION: The appearance and number of endometrial polyps seen by hysteroscopy may be useful in predicting cancer in the polyps, although resection and histological examination will still be necessary to confirm the diagnosis.     

The malignant potential of endometrial polyps

OBJECTIVES: To determine the pre-malignant and malignant potential of endometrial polyps and to assess whether different clinical parameters are associated with malignancy in the polyps. STUDY DESIGN: Four hundred and thirty consecutive cases of hysteroscopic diagnosis of endometrial polyp were retrieved. The medical records, preoperative vaginal sonography results and histopathology findings were reviewed. Statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: Hysteroscopy truly identified endometrial polyps in 95.7% of the cases. In 11.4% cases, hyperplasia without atypia was found in the endometrial polyp. In 3.3 and 3.0% of women pre-malignant or malignant conditions were found in the polyp. Older age, menopause status and polyps larger than 1.5 cm were associated with significant pre-malignant or malignant changes, although the positive predictive value for malignancy was low. All the malignant polyps were diagnosed only in postmenopausal women. The presence of postmenopausal or irregular vaginal bleeding, was not a predictor of malignancy in the polyp. CONCLUSIONS: Postmenopausal women with endometrial polyps are at increased risk of malignancy in the polyp. Those patients, whether symptomatic or not should be evaluated by hysteroscopic resection of the polyps. Asymptomatic premenopausal patients with polyps smaller than 1.5 cm can be observed.     

子宫内膜息肉的手术治疗及术后复发的预防

目的探讨子宫内膜息肉的宫腔镜手术治疗及术后应用孕激素预防复发的效果。方法选择北京大学深圳医院2001年8月至2007年8月行宫腔镜诊治的子宫内膜息肉86例患者,术后分为激素治疗组和观察组,激素治疗组术后给予安宫黄体酮周期性治疗3个月,观察子宫内膜息肉复发及妊娠情况。结果 86例患者中,宫腔镜检查多发性子宫内膜息肉56例,单发性子宫内膜息肉32例;激素治疗组术后2年,复发率为2.3%,观察组复发率为13.9%,两组比较,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。32例有生育要求的患者中,术后2年23例自然妊娠,妊娠率为71.9%,但激素治疗组妊娠率(70.6%,12/17)和观察组(73.3%,11/15)比较,差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论子宫内膜息肉患者行宫腔镜诊断及治疗效果明确,术后应用孕激素治疗可能有助于预防子宫内膜息肉的复发。     

The clinical significance of small endometrial polyps

Objective

Small endometrial polyps are relatively common in asymptomatic women and may regress spontaneously. In symptomatic women, the finding of a small polyp (<1 cm diameter) raises the question of the clinical pertinence and necessity of excision. Sparse data are available on the effectiveness of hysteroscopic excision of small polyps to manage abnormal uterine bleeding. The aim of this study was to assess outcome after hysteroscopic excision of small endometrial polyps in symptomatic patients.

Study design

This was an observational cohort study enrolling 255 premenopausal women presenting with abnormal uterine bleeding and a small endometrial polyp on office hysteroscopy, undertaken between January 2004 and February 2007. The study group was referred for polypectomy by operative hysteroscopy. The outcome of the procedure was reviewed 6–12 months later by a telephone interview to assess the pattern of uterine bleeding after the procedure and overall satisfaction.

Results

Significant improvement in the magnitude of bleeding was experienced by 70% of participants, but only 30% of them reported return to regular menses. Satisfaction with the procedure was reported by 80%. Younger patients reported a less favorable bleeding pattern and were found to be less satisfied with the outcome of the procedure.

Conclusions

Symptomatic women with small endometrial polyps can be treated safely and efficiently with hysteroscopic excision. In the younger age group of patients, however, the outcome of the procedure may be less favorable and may necessitate the addition of endometrial ablation to improve outcome and increase patient satisfaction.     

High frequency of endometrial polyps in endometriosis

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of hysteroscopy and the frequency of endometrial polyps in women with endometriosis. DESIGN: Retrospective clinical study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). SETTING: Infertility unit at a university-affiliated hospital. PATIENTS: One hundred eighty-three infertile women, 92 with endometriosis and 91 controls without the disease. INTERVENTION: Laparoscopy and scoring of endometriosis according to the American Fertility Society classification, and confirmation of endometrial polyps by pathologic examination. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: There was no significant difference between groups with regard to age, mean duration of infertility, and frequency of primary or secondary infertility. Endometrial polyps were found in 43 women (46.7%) with endometriosis and in 15 controls (16.5%, p = 0.0000). Their frequency did not differ significantly according to stage of endometriosis. CONCLUSIONS: We strongly recommend hysteroscopy if endometriosis is detected in a woman undergoing evaluation for infertility, even if hysterosalpingography and transvaginal ultrasonography do not suggest endometrial polyps.     

Postmenopausal uterine inversion associated with endometrial polyps

BACKGROUND: Postmenopausal uterine inversion is an extremely rare gynecologic complication. We report a case of uterine inversion associated with endometrial polyps alone. CASE: A postmenopausal nullipara with a history of recurrent postmenopausal bleeding was evaluated for persistent vaginal bleeding. Benign endometrial polyps were found, and the patient's symptoms improved after a therapeutic dilation and curettage. She had acute onset of profuse vaginal bleeding 3 months later and a mass protruded from the cervix. A laparotomy revealed an inverted uterus that was resolved by the Haultain technique and was followed by total abdominal hysterectomy. CONCLUSION: Nonpuerperal uterine inversion associated with endometrial polyps was successfully treated surgically.     

High prevalence of endometrial polyps in endometriosis-associated infertility

In a retrospective study, examination of 431 infertile women (158 cases with endometriosis and 273 without endometriosis) showed a significantly increased frequency of endometrial polyps in patients with endometriotic infertility and no significant differences among different stages and locations of endometriosis. Hysteroscopic polypectomy and removal of endometriotic foci significantly increased the chances of achieving a pregnancy compared with those without polyps.     

The stromal component of large endometrial polyps.

Benign endometrial polyps belong in the differential diagnosis of adenofibroma and adenosarcoma. There is, however, little information about the range of stromal mitotic activity, stromal cellularity, and stromal atypia in benign endometrial polyps, rendering the differential diagnosis with the aforementioned tumors problematic. In this study, the stroma of 66 polyps 1 cm or more in greatest dimension from 56 patients was analyzed for stromal mitotic activity, cellularity, and atypia. Sixteen (24%) had an almost completely fibrotic stroma that had rare mitoses, little cellularity, and no atypia. However, 50 polyps (76%) had stroma that was predominantly endometrial or was a mixture of endometrial-type stroma and fibrous stroma. In these polyps stromal mitoses were relatively common, averaging 1.2/10 MFs/HPFs (range, 0-5.8 MFs/10 HPFs). Stromal cellularity was frequently equal to or mildly increased over adjacent nonpolypoid endometrial stroma and mild nuclear atypia (enlarged stromal nuclei) was also common. Twelve polyps (24%) from the group of 50 had two or more MFs/10 HPFs, a mitotic rate present in some adenosarcomas. None of these polyps had other features necessary for the diagnosis of adenofibroma or adenosarcoma and follow-up in all patients was uneventful (average follow-up, 96 months). It is concluded that benign polyps that retain areas of endometrial-type stroma often have mitotic activity and that significant stromal mitotic activity (> or = 2 MFs/HPFs) is relatively common. These polyps do not have significant stromal atypia nor do they have a marked increase in stromal cellularity. Thus, in the absence of other supportive features, stromal mitotic activity alone should not be regarded as a worrisome finding.     

子宫内膜息肉的发病相关高危因素分析

目的:探讨子宫内膜息肉(EPs)发病的相关因素。方法:选取2012年1月至2014年8月在我院妇科微创中心行宫腔镜及病理检查的患者共592例,根据术后病理结果,其中子宫内膜息肉患者385例及非子宫内膜息肉患者207例,分别记录患者临床资料,采用单因素及多因素分析。结果:子宫内膜息肉患者385例(65%),高发于30~59岁。193例(50.1%)有异常阴道出血,61例为不孕(15.8%),无症状患者116例(30.1%)。单因素分析发现,年龄、绝经、子宫腺肌症、宫颈息肉、糖尿病、高血压(P0.05)是EPs发生的危险因素,产次是EPs发生的保护因素。多因素分析提示,年龄(OR=1.049,95%Cl 1.034~1.065,P0.001)及子宫腺肌症(OR=2.466,95%Cl 1.151~4.012,P0.001)为EPs发生的独立危险因素。结论:年龄及子宫腺肌症是子宫内膜息肉发病相关独立危险因素;绝经、宫颈息肉、糖尿病、高血压患者也存在EPs高发的可能,而产次可能是EPs的保护因素。     

宫腔镜手术治疗子宫内膜息肉的临床分析

目的　探讨宫腔镜手术治疗子宫内膜息肉的临床效果。方法　因子宫内膜息肉行各类宫腔镜手术 10 9例 ,其中绝经后子宫内膜息肉 15例、生育期子宫内膜息肉 94例。 10 9例中合并月经紊乱 84例、贫血 34例、痛经 16例、原发不孕 3例、继发不孕 2例。患者年龄 2 6～ 73岁 ,平均 (45± 9)岁 ;随访时间 3～ 2 2个月 ,平均 (12± 5 )个月。月经紊乱者在术前和术后分别填写月经失血图以评估月经血量。结果　 10 9例中 ,单纯息肉切除 35例 ,息肉切除同时浅层内膜切除 9例 ,息肉切除同时内膜切除 6 3例 ,息肉切除同时内膜剥除 2例。 84例月经紊乱者术后闭经 14例、阴道点滴出血 2 6例 ,其余 4 4例月经血量均较术前减少。 34例术前贫血患者 ,术后 1个月血红蛋白即恢复正常。 16例痛经者术后 7例症状消失、7例缓解、2例加重。 5例不孕者术后 4例妊娠。 15例绝经后患者术后无异常出血。结论　有月经改变且无生育要求者 ,息肉切除同时应行子宫内膜电切术 ,可避免息肉复发 ;需保留生育功能的患者 ,可行单纯息肉切除 ,如合并内膜息肉样增生 ,应同时行浅层内膜切除 ;绝经后患者 ,可行单纯息肉切除 ,如合并内膜息肉样增生 ,应同时行子宫内膜剥除。     

Diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of endometrial polyps]

The diagnostic and therapeutic utility of hysteroscopy in intracavity uterine pathologies is now widely recognised. The Authors have evaluated the efficacy of hysteroscopy in 640 patients in a study of endometrial polyps for which the endoscopic technique represents the elective form of therapy, avoiding excessive trauma to the patient and preserving the endometrial mucosa intact. The results obtained are fully discussed. Hysteroscopic resection of polyps was carried out in 49 patients in a day-hospital setting and without further complications.     

Hysteroscopic resection of symptomatic and asymptomatic endometrial polyps

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To estimate the occurrence of malignancy and atypical hyperplasia in endometrial polyps in patients with and without symptoms. DESIGN: Retrospective registration of all patients who underwent hysteroscopic resection of endometrial polyps. Age, menopausal status, presence or absence of symptoms, any use of hormonal medication, as well as histologic diagnosis, complications, and eventual repeated surgery were documented (Canadian Task Force classification II-3). SETTING: Ullevaal University Hospital, Department of Gynecology. PATIENTS: All patients who underwent hysteroscopic resection of an endometrial polyp in our department from January 1, 2001 through March 1, 2005. INTERVENTIONS: Hysteroscopic resection of endometrial polyps. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Four hundred eleven patients were included. One hundred twenty-nine patients (31.4%) had no symptoms. The prevalence of malignancy or atypical hyperplasia was 3.2% in women with symptoms and 3.9% in those without symptoms. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of malignancy and atypical hyperplasia was found to be relatively high, indicating that symptomatic, as well as asymptomatic, endometrial polyps should be removed.