Thickened endometrium in a postmenopausal woman

The endometrium is the lining inside the womb. After menopause, it commonly becomes thinner because hormone levels change. An ultrasound may show a thicker area, but an image alone cannot identify the exact cause. A polyp, endometrial hyperplasia, medication effect, or a cancer of the womb can all be considered. Bleeding may also come from the vagina or cervix rather than the womb; vaginal dryness linked with genitourinary syndrome of menopause can make tissues fragile. A clinician interprets the scan alongside symptoms, medicines, and the appearance of the lining.

The measurement is not a diagnosis. The scan report may describe a uniform lining, a focal area, fluid, or an area that was difficult to see. Those details help determine whether monitoring, another scan, hysteroscopy, or a small endometrial sample is appropriate.

Arrange a gynaecology or primary-care review and take the ultrasound report and a list of medicines, including hormone treatment and medicines that affect bleeding. Record when bleeding began, whether it followed sex, and whether it was spotting or a flow. The clinician may examine the vagina and cervix, review the scan, and recommend tissue sampling when the lining or symptoms warrant it. Treatment depends on the cause: a polyp may be removed, hyperplasia may need hormone treatment or closer follow-up, and a cancer diagnosis leads to specialist planning. Radical hysterectomy is a specific cancer operation and is not the routine response to every thickened lining.

Contact a clinician promptly for any vaginal bleeding after menopause, even if it happens once or is light. Seek urgent help if bleeding is heavy, you feel faint or weak, have severe pelvic pain, fever, or cannot keep fluids down. Do not wait for a future routine appointment when symptoms are worsening. Bleeding after menopause is a symptom that deserves assessment; it does not by itself establish womb cancer, cervical cancer, or vaginal cancer.

Ask what the scan actually showed, whether the lining was measured clearly, and whether your bleeding changes the next step. Clarify whether you need an endometrial biopsy or hysteroscopy, how results will be shared, and which symptoms should trigger faster review. Ask whether any medicine or hormone treatment could affect the finding and what alternatives exist while the cause is being checked.