Three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound scanning for the prediction of endometrial cancer in women with postmenopausal bleeding and thickened endometrium.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of 3-dimensional power Doppler angiography (3D-PDA) to discriminate between benign and malignant endometrial disease in women with postmenopausal bleeding and thickened endometrium.

STUDY DESIGN: Ninety-nine postmenopausal women (median age, 63.1 years; range, 48-84 years) with uterine bleeding and a thickened endometrium (>or= 5 mm) at baseline transvaginal sonography were assessed by 3D-PDA before endometrial biopsy. Endometrial volume, vascularity index (VI), flow index, and vascularity-flow index were calculated with the virtual organ computer-aided analysis method.

RESULTS: Histologic diagnoses were endometrial cancer (44 cases), hyperplasia (13 cases), polyp (23 cases), cystic atrophy (14 cases), and submucous myoma (5 cases). Endometrial volume, VI, and vascularity-flow index were significantly higher in malignant vs benign conditions. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that VI was the best parameter for the prediction of endometrial cancer.

CONCLUSION: The findings show that 3D-PDA may be useful for the prediction of endometrial cancer in women with postmenopausal bleeding and thickened endometrium at baseline sonography.