Very often, after entering the climacteric period, a woman waves at herself and ceases to take care of her health. All the ailments and poor health she writes off for hormonal changes in the body, almost ignoring them. This attitude to itself is fundamentally wrong, because it is during this period that it faces the danger of many female diseases, from benign tumors to cancer. Therefore, a woman is simply obliged to undergo periodic examination at a gynecologist in time to notice the ripening problem. Hyperplasia of the endometrium - this is one of the problems that lie in wait for a woman in menopause.
Hyperplasia of the endometrium is an overgrowth of the mucous membrane of the uterus, which manifests itself with abundant uterine bleeding. In menopause, endometrial hyperplasia develops under the influence of hormonal fluctuations in the body. Excess weight, diabetes mellitus and hypertension, which are quite common in women older than 40, contribute significantly to the onset of the disease. The pathology of the endometrium in menopause is potentially dangerous with regard to the development of cancerous tumors. Atypical hyperplasia of the endometrium is also considered by specialists as a precancerous condition, which leads to the development of cancer in 25% of cases. In order to avoid this with maximum probability, a woman should be aware of the need for timely therapy.
The norm of the endometrium in menopause
Ultrasound examination of the uterus is the most reliable way to check her condition in menopause and determine the size of the endometrium:
- the thickness of the endometrium in menopause should not exceed 5 mm;
- the value of this indicator within 6-7 mm becomes a prerequisite for monitoring the condition of the endometrium in dynamics, with the repetition of control ultrasound after 3 months and 6 months;
- The thickness of the endometrium is more than 8 mm considered pathological. For an accurate diagnosis in this case it is necessary to perform diagnostic scraping;
- the size of the endometrium in the menopause of 10-15 mm is an indication for a separate curettage, with a histological examination of the material.
It should be remembered that the only deviation of the size of the endometrium from the norm is not determinative in the diagnosis, therefore diagnostic scraping should be performed.
Endometrial hyperplasia in menopause: treatment
Treatment of endometrial hyperplasia in menopause can be done in several ways:
1. Hormonal therapy. The dose of hormones administered to a patient is adjusted after periodic control ultrasound examinations of the endometrium. This contributes to a positive outcome of treatment and is the prevention of the development of cancer processes in the uterus.
2. Surgical intervention:
- scraping of the mucous membrane surface of the uterus - is carried out to remove foci of pathology, stop bleeding and
for diagnostics; - laser cauterization (ablation) - destruction of pathological foci by laser;
- removal of the uterus (hysterectomy) - is done for patients who have less gentle methods (hormone therapy), if relapses occur, or when control over the patient is impossible.
3. Combined treatment - a combination of hormonal and surgical treatment. Hormonal therapy in this case can significantly reduce the amount of surgical intervention by reducing the foci of pathologically overgrown endometrium.