HORMONAL EVALUATIONS AND ENDOMETRIAL BIOPSY IN INFERTILE WOMEN IN KANO, NORTHERN NIGERIA: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Background/Objectives: To determine the levels of prolactin, progesterone, follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone in infertile women in other to assess the contribution of certain endocrinopathies to infertility in the study population, and compared the performance characteristics of histological diagnosis of endometrial biopsies with hormonal evaluations. Methods: Five hundred and fifty consecutive infertile women over a period of five years (1999-2003) were evaluated. The hormones were determined using ELECSYS 1010 auto analyzer supplied by Roche, Germany, while the endometrial biopsy was performed using dating technique. Results: Ninety eight (17.8%) out of the five hundred and fifty subjects had measurable hormonal abnormalities. Of these ninety eight subjects, 26.5% had hypergonadotropic – hypogonadism, 19, 3% had hypogonadotropic – hypogonadism, 6.1% had hypergonadotropic hypergonadism and 48% had hyperprolactinaemia. 68.0% of the endometrial biopsies showed various stages of secretory pattern, 14.2% showed endometritis and 0.7% showed stroma-glandular dissociation. The performance characteristics of histological diagnosis of endometrial biopsies was compared with hormonal study.Conclusion: Endocrine abnormalities was involved in 17.8% of infertile women with 48% of them hyperprolactinaemic. Endometrial biopsy compared favourably well with hormonal evaluations. For effective diagnosis of the cause of infertility in women, endometrial biopsy study will still be complimentary to hormonal evaluations.