Background Medical management of atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH) includes oral or intrauterine progestins. This study aims to evaluate the oncological and reproductive outcomes of these patients and the predictive factors for disease regression, as well as to compare the treatment efficacy of different forms of progestins. Methodology This retrospective study was conducted at KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore. Women diagnosed with AEH on endometrial biopsy between January 2015 to October 2017 and treated with at least eight weeks of the same progestin were included for analysis. Results Of the 42 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 37 were treated with oral progestins and five with the levonorgestrel intrauterine device (LNG-IUS). In total, 28 (66.6%) patients achieved complete regression (CR), but eight recurred with AEH or endometrial carcinoma. Four (9.5%) progressed to grade 1 endometrioid adenocarcinoma. Patients under 39 years old were 9.75 times more likely (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.12-85.16, p = 0.04) to achieve CR compared to those who were 40 years old and above. In multivariate analysis, older age and higher mean body mass index had a significantly lower chance of CR. The probability of CR plateaued at nine months at 0.63 (95% CI = 0.47-0.79). There was no significant difference in time to regression, chance of regression, and risk of recurrence between oral progestin and LNG-IUS. Nine patients were trying to conceive. The clinical pregnancy rate was 44.4% (n = 4), and the live birth rate was 22.2% (n = 2). Conclusions Younger patients, especially those below 39 years old, are more likely to achieve CR. The value of medical treatment beyond nine months needs to be re-evaluated. There was no difference in treatment outcomes between oral progestins and LNG-IUS.
Keywords: atypical endometrial hyperplasia; endometrial cancer; endometrial hyperplasia; fertility sparing; progestin therapy.
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