Content
Endometrial thickening, also known as endometrial hyperplasia, consists of increasing the thickness of the tissue lining the inside of the uterus, due to excessive exposure to estrogen, which can occur in women who do not ovulate every month or who are undergoing therapy hormone replacement therapy made only with estrogen.
Endometrial hyperplasia is not always related to cancer, but there is a risk, especially in women who are exposed to a high level of estrogen, who have another risk factor such as obesity and diabetes or who suffer from liver or kidney disease, for example.
Place where the thickness increases
Main symptoms
Symptoms that may arise in cases of endometrial thickening are mainly abnormal uterine bleeding, severe abdominal colic, less than 21 days between each menstruation, and a slight increase in the size of the uterus, as perceived by ultrasound.
Possible causes
Endometrial hyperplasia is caused by excessive exposure to the hormone estrogen and usually an insufficient amount of progesterone. This hormonal imbalance in women can be caused by the following situations:
- Irregular cycle or ovulation does not occur every month;
- Polycystic ovary syndrome;
- Hormone replacement therapy, using only estrogen;
- Presence of a tumor in the ovary;
- Menopause, in which the body stops producing progesterone;
- Obesity.
The greatest risk of developing endometrial hyperplasia occurs between 40 and 60 years of age.
Main types of hyperplasia
The main types of endometrial hyperplasia are:
1. Non-atypical endometrial hyperplasia
Non-atypical endometrial hyperplasia is a type of thickening of the endometrium that does not involve precancerous cells.
2. Atypical hyperplasia of the endometrium
Atypical endometrial hyperplasia is a slightly more serious endometrial lesion than the previous ones and may be related to the development of endometrial cancer. Treatment will vary depending on the stage of the disease, and in some cases, it may be necessary to remove the uterus.
What is the diagnosis
The diagnosis of endometrial hyperplasia can be made by a gynecologist through the analysis of the symptoms presented and a transvaginal ultrasound. Find out what transvaginal ultrasound is and how it is performed.
In addition, the doctor can also perform a hysteroscopy, which consists of inserting a device with a camera into the uterus, in order to see if there is anything abnormal, and / or performing a biopsy, in which a small sample is taken from the endometrial tissue for further analysis.
How the treatment is done
The treatment of endometrial hyperplasia will depend on the type of hyperplasia the woman has and its severity, but therapeutic options include curettage of the endometrial tissue or use of medications such as progesterone or synthetic progestogens orally, intramuscularly or intrauterine.
After treatment, it is advisable to perform a biopsy of the endometrial tissue to verify the success of the treatment.