What is endometrial biopsy procedure?
The doctor performs an endometrial biopsy to check for disorders that occur in the uterus. An endometrial biopsy is performed by taking a small portion of tissue from the uterine wall. Until this tissue can show cell changes due to abnormal conditions as well as changes in hormone levels, including cells that have the potential to become cancerous in the uterus.
There are several ways to do endometrial biopsy. Your doctor may use:
- Soft pipettes are shaped like straws to suck a little sample from the lining of the uterus. This method is fast, but may cause cramps
- Electronic sucker device (Vabra aspiration). This method is quite uncomfortable
- A spray that will rinse a small portion of the sample from the wall of the uterus. A brush may be used to lift the sample before flushing is over.
An endometrial biopsy is performed to look for the cause of abnormal uterine wall bleeding, to check for thickening of the inner lining of the uterus (endometrial hyperplasia), or to look for possible cancers.
For complaints of difficulty conceiving, an endometrial biopsy can be performed to check if your uterine wall can support the pregnancy process.
Endometrial biopsies are sometimes performed in conjunction with other medical tests, namely hysteroscopy, which doctors use to see the walls of the uterus through a small illuminated tube.
Why Endometrial Biopsy Is Done?
In addition to looking at possible cells that could develop into cancer in the womb, doctors also recommend an endometrial biopsy if you experience:
- Heavy or prolonged menstruation
- Late or irregular menstruation
- Not getting menstruation
- Bleeding after menopause
- Bleeding after using tamoxifen for breast cancer drugs
- Thickening of the uterine wall
An endometrial biopsy could not stop the symptoms. But through this biopsy, your doctor can detect certain health disorders in your body.
Who Should Undergo Endometrial Biopsy and Expected Results?
Endometrial biopsies are often recommended for women who are experiencing abnormal bleeding. Abnormal bleeding can be a lot of bleeding or heavy during menstruation, irregular menstruation, or the event of menstruation. All of these abnormalities can mark the arrival of several disorders, including hormonal imbalances or diseases such as cancer.
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Endometriosis is a disease in which the endometrial grows outside the uterus and spreads to surrounding organs, such as the ovaries and intestines. The endometrial can still thicken, which can cause irritation of the organs, causing lesions to occur.
Endometriosis often causes very painful menstruation and infertility. Uterine and endometrial cancers are caused by certain cell abnormalities that continue to grow and spread. Uterine cancer is a cancer that occurs on the inside of the uterus.
Endometrial biopsies can also be used to determine whether or not hyperplasia exists, i.e. Increased endometrial due to abnormal cell production. Hyperplasia is often considered a pre-cancerous stage.
Endometrial biopsy can also serve as one of the screening tools for infertility, but only caused by hormonal imbalances and metabolic disorders, which can prevent the egg from becoming mature or thickening the endometrium so that the endometrial cannot sustain the uterus during pregnancy.
Women who have gone through menopause can also undergo an endometrial biopsy if they continue to experience abnormal bleeding. Endometrial biopsy is a good marker for knowing the success of hormone therapy and fertility.
Some women undergo a Pap smear first. The Pap smear is a cervical cancer examination performed by taking a cell sample from the cervix. If the results indicate abnormalities, the obstetrician may request that other examinations, such as endometrial biopsies, be performed to produce an accurate diagnosis.
Endometrial biopsies should not be performed on women who are pregnant, severely overweight, or has been diagnosed with reproductive system cancer. Inflammation of the va**gina or pelvis can also inhibit the ability of this test to detect abnormalities. Patients may have to wait until the bleeding stops before undergoing this test.
An endometrial biopsy can be completed within 10 minutes, but the results will only come out after one week, which will indicate if there are abnormalities in the structure, tissues, and endometrial cells.