Hysteroscopic patterns in women receiving replacement estrogen therapy.

There is general agreement that unopposed estrogen therapy can cause cystic hyperplasia of the endometrial mucosa, and it is also possible a progression of this lesion towards borderline forms of hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma in patients where there is a predisposition. The Authors report their experience of a combined, hysteroscopic and histological, study made on a group of patients who had undergone cyclic therapy with conjugated estrogens. In this group the more complex forms of hyperplasia were found in those patients treated with the higher dose of estrogens. The Authors emphasize that cyclic therapy of small doses of estrogens associated with 7-12 days of progestins every month can prevent or correct endometrial cystic hyperplasia. The microhysteroscope is a new instrument very simple to use; because of its accuracy, it makes the gynecologist able to perform an immediate endo-uterine diagnosis, thus avoiding some of the other techniques used in the examination of the uterine cavity; in the Authors experience this very interesting endoscopic method has proved to be extremely useful in the controls of patients receiving replacement hormone treatment for menopausal troubles.