study of postmenopausal vaginal cytology and urinary oestrogens levels in relation to some climacteric symptoms

ABSTRACT

1. 160 postmenopausal cases were examined by vaginal cytology and total and fractional 24 hours urinary oestrogens and the results were correlated with some climacteric symptoms such as vascular, nervous complaints and superficial dyspareunia. 2. Some cases of postmenopausal women were found to have proliferatve vaginal smear indicating a certain level of endogenous oestrogen production. The K.P.I, was found to correlate with urinary oestrogen levels especially oestradiol. 3. Superficial dyspareunia was found to be more common in cases with less K.P.I, and lower oestradiol levels. 4. The presence of a correlation between K.P.I, and vascular and nervous scores indicates that posmenopausal oestrogen production does not protect against some climacteric symptoms. The presence of dyspareunia in cases with less K.P.I, indicates that postmenopausal oestrogen production protect against dyspareunia. 5. Karyopyknotic index is a 4 relatively simple index that can be used as a valuable aid in evaluating postmenopausal oestrogen production, and so it can be used as a method for selecting postmenopausal cases requiring oestrogen therapy