Value of endometrial biopsy in patients with hysteroscopically atrophic endometrium in patients with postmenopausal bleeding.

PURPOSE: To determine the rate of precancer and cancer in women presenting with PMB who have a visually atrophic endometrium at hysteroscopy and assess the value of endometrial biopsy in this situation and the adequacy of the samples obtained.

METHODS

Retrospective reviews of all patients with a visually atrophic endometrium at hysteroscopy who had presented with PMB and had an ET > / = 4 mm or ET < 4 mm with focal changes or irregular features between 2013 and 2024 at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton were included (n = 1096). Patients who had previously had cancer or precancer or had unclear hysteroscopy findings were excluded. The endometrial biopsy histology result was considered the main outcome measure.

RESULTS

188 patients did not have a biopsy performed (17.15%), 660 patients had benign pathology (60.22%), and 239 patients had an inadequate sample result (21.81%). Nine patients had precancerous changes (0.82%). The rate of cancer was 0.00% (n = 0). The NPV of a visually atrophic endometrial cavity at hysteroscopy in detecting precancer or cancer was 99.2%. Patients with an ET < 4 mm pre-hysteroscopy and an atrophic endometrial cavity at hysteroscopy were 2.25 times more likely than those whose ET is > 4 mm to have an inadequate sample (p < 0.001, 95% CI 1.61-3.16). 10 patients who had an inadequate sample at initial biopsy had a repeat inadequate sample (n = 23, 43.48%).

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of precancer/cancer in patients presenting with PMB with a visually atrophic endometrium at hysteroscopy is low. Many patients within this cohort have an inadequate sample at biopsy, and therefore, repeat sampling is of questionable value.