[Clinic-pathological study of 485 cases of postmenopausal bleeding].

Four hundred and eighty-five patients with postmenopausal bleeding (PMB) who underwent a curettage were studied retrospectively to evaluate the relationship of clinical cause and pathological findings. The results showed that nonorganic causes were the most common, benign causes were much commoner than malignant causes. Bleeding from the uterus was the most common in all PMB. Pathological examination revealed atrophic endometrium in 41.5%, proliferative and secretory endometrium only a few. Endometrial and cervical carcinoma were the most common among the malignant causes. PMB with an enlarged uterus, and women with advanced age have a statistically significant correlation with more serious pathology. It is suggested that the postmenopausal endometrium changes are regulated by ovarian and ectopic sex hormones, and endometritis or vascular diseases of the endometrium may be involved in the mechanism of bleeding.