Role of combined estrogen assay and histopathology in management of peri-menopausal uterine bleeding

ABSTRACT

Sixty patients were included in this study in whom perimenopausal bleeding was the main complaint. Abdominal hysterectomies were done depending on the results of previous endometrial biopsy and /or previous treatment trials. 5 ml of peripheral venous blood were taken before operation for total estrogen estimation. Postoperative hysterectomy specimens from the endometrium, myometrium and the ovaries were taken and examined for histopathological examination. The results of preoperative estrogen assay and endometrial histopathology have been correlated with the results of postoperative histopathological findings of the studied specimens. Statistical analysis indicated that patients with fibroid uterus and /or adenomyosis had a significantly higher estrogen level. Although estrogen levels were higher in cases of endometrial hyperplasia than that without hyperplasia, the difference in estrogen level between both categories is not statistically significant. Also, cases with functional ovarian cysts and ovarian stromal hyperplasia had a significantly higher estrogen level than cases with normal ovarian histology