Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-dfsvx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-27T23:07:29.054Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

5 - HRT, contraceptives and other drugs affecting the endometrium

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2014

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
Get access

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.
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

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×