Prevalence and Impact of Chronic Endometritis in Patients With Intrauterine Adhesions: A Prospective Cohort Study.

STUDY

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prevalence and impact of chronic endometritis (CE) in patients with intrauterine adhesions (IUAs).

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).

SETTING

University-affiliated hospital.

PATIENTS: Eighty-two women with moderate to severe IUAs.

INTERVENTIONS: Transcervical resection of adhesions (TCRA) and endometrial biopsy were performed in all patients. According to results of the endometrial biopsy, participants were classified into 2 groups: 29 patients with CE (CE group) and 53 women without CE (NCE group). Second-look hysteroscopy assessed the impact of TCRA using the American Fertility Society classification system.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN

RESULTS

Prevalence of CE, reformation of adhesions, and reduction of adhesion score were studied. Thirty-one women (37.8%) presented with visual signs of CE at hysteroscopy, confirmed by histology in 29 of 82 patients (35.4%). In hysteroscopic diagnosis of CE, sensitivity and specificity were 79.3% (23/29) and 84.9% (45/53), respectively. At second-look hysteroscopy, the recurrence of adhesions in the CE group was significantly higher than in the NCE group (44.8% vs 20.8%, respectively; p = .022). The median reduction of adhesion score was significantly greater in the NCE group (median, 8; range, 0-12) than in the CE group (median, 5; range, 0-10).

CONCLUSION

CE in women with IUAs may be a contributing factor in higher adhesion recurrence, indicating chronic inflammation may play a role in IUA recurrence. (Clinical Trial Registration No.: NCT02744807.).