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5 - HRT, contraceptives and other drugs affecting the endometrium

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2014

By
Louise Melson  and
Timothy Hillard
Edited by
Davor Jurkovic ,
Lil Valentin  and
Sanjay Vyas
Louise Melson
Affiliation:
Poole Hospital
Timothy Hillard
Affiliation:
Poole Hospital
Davor Jurkovic
Affiliation:
University College Hospital, London
Lil Valentin
Affiliation:
Malmö University Hospital
Sanjay Vyas
Affiliation:
Southmead Hospital, Bristol
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Summary

The endometrium undergoes cellular and structural changes that are essential for its function. These changes are cyclical and controlled by the production of estrogen and progesterone by the ovaries. Drugs with estrogenic or progestogenic modes of action also lead to alterations in the ultrasonographic appearances of the endometrium. This chapter helps the sonographer to interpret the appearances of the endometrium in women. The Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) has advised that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is beneficial for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. Although unscheduled bleeding on HRT requires investigation, the underlying malignancy risk is low. In postmenopausal bleeding, there is a cut off of 4 mm for double-layer endometrial thickness on Transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) but for women on HRT there is no agreed cut-off point. Hormonal contraceptives and intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUCD) have multiple effects leading to their contraceptive action.

Keywords

tamoxifenintrauterine contraceptive devicespostmenopausal bleedingtransvaginal ultrasoundhormonal contraceptiveshormone replacement therapyCommittee on Safety of Medicinesendometrium
Type
Chapter
Information
Gynaecological Ultrasound in Clinical Practice
Ultrasound Imaging in the Management of Gynaecological Conditions
 , pp. 43 - 54
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2009

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