Purpose. In this retrospective study, the sonographically measured endometrial thickness in asymptomatic, hypertensive postmenopausal women was compared with that in normotensive postmenopausal women.
Methods. We reviewed clinical and sonographic data on 511 consecutive, unselected, asymptomatic postmenopausal women who attended our hospital for routine gynecologic examinations during a 6-month period. Two hundred nineteen patients (mean age, 60.2 years; age range, 49-81 years) were included in the study. Reasons for exclusion were: clinical data about hypertension were not available (n = 159); the patient had received or was receiving hormonal treatment (n = 78); the patient had undergone a hysterectomy (n = 25); and endometrial thickness could not be determined (n = 30). All patients had been examined using transvaginal or transabdominal sonography. Endometrial thickness was measured at the level of its maximum thickness in the uterine sagittal plane.
Results. Fifty-six (26%) of 219 patients were hypertensive. Of these 56 patients, 41 (73%) were receiving drug treatment. The mean endometrial thickness in the hypertensive patients receiving treatment [6.2 mm; 95% confidence interval (CI), 5.1-7.4 mm] was significantly greater than in both the untreated, hypertensive patients (4.3 mm; 95% CI, 3.1-5.5 mm) (p = 0.008) and the normotensive patients (3.6 mm; 95% CI, 3.4-3.8 mm) (p < 0.0001). Endometrial thickness was equal to or greater than 5 mm in 59% of the hypertensive patients receiving drug treatment compared with 40% of the untreated, hypertensive patients and 18% of the normotensive patients (p < 0.001). An endometrial stripe was sonographically detected in 22% of the hypertensive patients undergoing treatment, 7% of the hypertensive patients undergoing no treatment, and 1% of the normotensive patients (p < 0.0001).
Conclusions. Our data indicate that endometrial thickness, which can be determined sonographically, is frequently greater in asymptomatic, hypertensive postmenopausal women receiving antihypertensive drugs than in untreated hypertensive and normotensive patients. This conclusion could have clinical relevance when interpreting endometrial sonographic findings in asymptomatic, hypertensive postmenopausal patients.