P-736 The therapeutic effect of hysteroscopic surgery on chronic endometritis in infertile women with intrauterine disorders
Authors: Kuroda K , Moriyama A , Motoyama H , Tsutsumi R , Hobo R , Sugiyama R , Kuribayashi Y , Sugiyama R 
Published: July 2024

Study question

Can chronic endometritis (CE) be treated by hysteroscopic surgery without antibiotic treatment in women with intrauterine disorders?

Summary answer

Most CE cases with intrauterine disorders were cured through hysteroscopic surgery without antibiotic therapy, regardless of the type of intrauterine abnormalities.

What is known already

Persistent inflammation of the local endometrium, CE, interferes with embryo implantation. CE is primarily caused by intrauterine infection; therefore, broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy is the current treatment for CE. Nevertheless, most cases with CE and endometrial polyps can be cured via hysteroscopic polypectomy without antibiotic therapy in our previous study.

Study design, size, duration

This study was a prospective cohort study approved by the Ethics Committee. To evaluate the therapeutic effect of hysteroscopic surgery on CE, the endometrial specimens for the immunohistochemistry analysis of the plasma cell marker CD138 were obtained to diagnose CE at surgery between November 2018 and June 2021. In the women diagnosed with CE, endometrial biopsy was performed without use of antibiotics in the subsequent menstrual cycle.

Participants/materials, setting, methods

The study population consisted of 337 consecutive infertile women who underwent hysteroscopic surgery. Eighty-nine consecutive patients without intrauterine disorders were also recruited as control group. CE was diagnosed as the presence of ≥ 5 CD138-positive cells in 10 nonoverlapping random stromal areas of high-power fields (HPF) in this study.

Main results and the role of chance

The prevalence of CE with ≥5 CD138-positive cells in women with no intrauterine disorder, endometrial polyps, myomas, intrauterine adhesion (IUA), and septate uterus were 15.7%, 85.7%, 69.0%, 78.9%, and 46.2%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that CE was diagnosed significantly more often in the endometrial polyp (p &lt; 0.0001, odds ratio [OR] 27.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 15.01–51.08) and IUA groups (p &lt; 0.0001, OR 8.85, 95%CI 3.26–24.05). The CE recovery rates by hysteroscopic surgery in the women with endometrial polyps, myomas, IUA, and septate uterus were 89.7%, 100%, 92.8%, and 83.3%, respectively (p = 0.45).

Limitations, reasons for caution

This study has limitations. First, some patients received a combination of estrogen and progestin or dienogest before surgery. These medicines may influence the number of CD138-positive cells. Second, ≥5 CD138-positive cells per 10 HPF were defined as the diagnosis of CE; however, different diagnostic criteria may generate different results.

Wider implications of the findings

CE is primarily caused by intrauterine infection due to a wide variety of microorganisms; however, most CE cases with intrauterine abnormalities were cured by hysteroscopic surgery without antibiotic use. Most CE cases associated with intrauterine abnormalities may be noninfectious CE.

Trial registration number

not applicable