Prevalence of cancer in endometrial polypsIn patients undergoing hysteroscopic polypectomy

Prevalencia de carcinoma en pólipos endometriales resecados por histeroscopia.

The prevalence of endometrial polyps (EMPs) in the general female population is estimated to be around 24% and between 10 to 30 % in those women with abnormal uterine bleeding.  Polyps are fast growing endometrial lesions which may transform into cancer. Objective: to determine the prevalence of endometrial cancer in patients with a hysteroscopic diagnosis of endometrial polyp (EMP). Methodology: a retrospective case series analysis including patients seen between 2005 and 2014 at Hospital de San José, Bogotá, Colombia. Results: we reviewed 408 clinical records of patients with histopathological diagnosis of EMP, 10 (2.4%) had a premalignant result and 9 (2.2%) had a histologically-confirmed malignancy including 6 endometrioid carcinomas, 2 papillary serous carcinomas and 1 carcinosarcoma. All the malignant polyps were diagnosed in postmenopausal women over 60 years of age. Four participants were nulliparous and had ever been on tamoxifen or hormone therapy Conclusion: the prevalence of endometrial carcinomas in hysteroscopic diagnosed endometrial polyps (EMPs) in postmenopausal women was 7.7%. Our findings correspond with data reported in the medical literature, thus, we advocate the implementation of operative hysteroscopy for removing EMPs followed by a rigorous histopathological examination.

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