Recurrence of endometrial polyps

Abstract

Aims: To estimate the recurrence rate of patients with endometrial polyps and to evaluate whether the recurrence can be correlated with the histopathologic features of the polyp.

Methods: Two hundred and eighty-two women with endometrial polyps in both pre- or postmenopausal period and suffering from abnormal uterine bleeding or not were treated by resectoscopic surgery in a tertiary university hospital and were subsequently followed to check for polyp recurrence.

Results: Polyp recurrence rate after hysteroscopic surgery and correlation between recurrence and main demographic, hysteroscopic and histopathologic characteristics were analyzed. During mean ± SD follow-up period of 26.3 ± 19.7 months, the overall recurrence rate was high (13.3%) and did not vary (p = NS) with age, parity, weight or other demographic characteristics of the patients or with the hysteroscopic appearance. On the contrary, the histopathologic features showed significant differences between patients with and without polyp recurrence. Recurrence rate was higher (p < 0.001) in women with histopathologically hyperplastic polyps without atypia and lower (p < 0.001) in women with benign polyps.

Conclusion: The study shows that after resectoscopic polypectomy, the recurrence rate of endometrial polyps is high (13.3%). Moreover, the hyperplastic polyps without atypia recur more frequently than benign ones.