Uterine Polyps: Complete Guide to Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

5 days ago

8 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

Medically reviewed by Dr. Baraa Alnahhal, MD · Last reviewed: September 2026

Uterine polyps are growths that form on the inner wall of the uterus when cells of the uterine lining overgrow. They are usually noncancerous, though some can be precancerous or cancerous. Symptoms include bleeding after menopause, bleeding between periods, irregular or very heavy periods, and infertility — but some people have no symptoms at all. Diagnosis uses ultrasound, hysteroscopy, and biopsy; treatment ranges from watchful waiting to hormonal medication to removal during hysteroscopy.

Quick Answer

Uterine polyps, also called endometrial polyps, are growths attached to the inner wall of the uterus that expand into the uterus. They form when cells in the uterine lining (endometrium) overgrow, and they are estrogen-sensitive, meaning they grow in response to estrogen in the body. They range in size from a few millimeters (no larger than a sesame seed) to several centimeters (golf-ball-size or larger), attach by a large base or a thin stalk, and are most common in people going through or past menopause. Signs include vaginal bleeding after menopause, bleeding between periods, unpredictable or very heavy periods, and infertility, though some people are symptom-free. Because some polyps can be precancerous or cancerous, any bleeding after menopause should be evaluated. Diagnosis involves transvaginal ultrasound, hysterosonography, hysteroscopy, and endometrial biopsy, and treatment includes watchful waiting, hormonal medication, or surgical removal during hysteroscopy with tissue tested in a lab.

What Are Uterine Polyps?

Uterine polyps are growths attached to the inner wall of the uterus that expand into the uterus. Also known as endometrial polyps, they form as a result of cells in the lining of the uterus, called the endometrium, overgrowing.

These polyps are usually noncancerous, also called benign. However, some can be cancerous, and some can turn into cancer. Growth types that could turn into cancer are called precancerous polyps. This is why removed tissue is always tested.

Answer nugget: Uterine polyps (endometrial polyps) are growths attached to the inner wall of the uterus that form when cells in the uterine lining overgrow; they are usually noncancerous, though some can be cancerous or precancerous.

Uterine polyps come in a wide range of sizes. They range from a few millimeters — no larger than a sesame seed — to several centimeters, which is golf-ball-size or larger. They attach to the uterine wall by a large base or a thin stalk.

There can be one or many uterine polyps. They usually stay within the uterus, but they can slip through the opening of the uterus, called the cervix, into the vagina.

Uterine polyps are most common in people who are going through or have completed menopause. But younger people can get them, too.

What Are the Symptoms of Uterine Polyps?

Uterine polyps can cause irregular menstrual bleeding, bleeding after menopause, very heavy menstrual flow, or bleeding between periods. But not everyone with polyps has symptoms — some people have only light bleeding or spotting, and others are symptom-free entirely.

Symptom	What it looks like
Vaginal bleeding after menopause	Any bleeding that occurs after periods have stopped permanently
Bleeding between periods	Spotting or bleeding outside your normal cycle
Irregular, unpredictable periods	Frequent periods whose lengths and heaviness vary
Very heavy periods	Menstrual flow that is heavier than your usual pattern
Infertility	Difficulty becoming pregnant that may be linked to the polyps

Answer nugget: Symptoms of uterine polyps include vaginal bleeding after menopause, bleeding between periods, frequent unpredictable periods of varying length and heaviness, very heavy periods, and infertility; some people have only light spotting or no symptoms at all.

When Should You See a Doctor?

Seek medical care if you have any of the following three signs:

Warning sign	Why it needs evaluation
Vaginal bleeding after menopause	Postmenopausal bleeding is never normal and should always be checked
Bleeding between periods	Bleeding outside the normal cycle can signal a growth that needs diagnosis
Irregular menstrual bleeding	Changing cycle patterns can reflect polyps, hormonal imbalance, or other conditions

Answer nugget: Seek medical care for uterine polyps if you have vaginal bleeding after menopause, bleeding between periods, or irregular menstrual bleeding.

Because any uterine polyp can be precancerous, postmenopausal bleeding in particular should never be dismissed as "hormones" or aging.

What Causes Uterine Polyps?

Hormonal factors appear to play a role in how these growths form. Uterine polyps are estrogen-sensitive, meaning they grow in response to estrogen in the body.

Answer nugget: Uterine polyps are estrogen-sensitive growths — hormonal factors appear to play a role, and the polyps grow in response to estrogen in the body.

This estrogen sensitivity helps explain why they are most common around menopause, a period of major hormonal change, and why certain hormone-related medicines raise the risk.

What Increases Your Risk?

Risk factor	How it's linked
Being perimenopausal or postmenopausal	The hormonal changes of this life stage coincide with peak polyp rates
Being obese	Higher body fat is associated with higher estrogen exposure
Taking tamoxifen	This breast cancer drug therapy is linked to a higher rate of uterine polyps
Taking hormone therapy for menopause symptoms	Supplemental hormones can feed estrogen-sensitive growth

What Are the Complications?

Uterine polyps might be associated with infertility. The connection runs in both directions: polyps sitting in the uterine cavity can interfere with implantation, and removing them may help.

If you have uterine polyps and are unable to have children, removal of the polyps might allow you to become pregnant. However, the data are inconclusive, so this should be discussed case by case with your care provider.

How Are Uterine Polyps Diagnosed?

Several tests can find and confirm uterine polyps. Your provider may use one or more of the following.

Test	How it works
Transvaginal ultrasound	A slender, wandlike device placed in the vagina emits sound waves and creates an image of the uterus, including its insides; a polyp might be clearly present, or the scan may show an area of thickened endometrial tissue
Hysterosonography (sonohysterography)	Salt water (saline) is injected into the uterus through a small tube placed through the vagina and cervix; the saline expands the uterus, giving a clearer view of the inside during the ultrasound
Hysteroscopy	A thin, flexible, lighted telescope, called a hysteroscope, is inserted through the vagina and cervix into the uterus, allowing direct viewing of the inside of the uterus
Endometrial biopsy	A suction catheter inside the uterus collects a tissue specimen for lab testing; polyps might be confirmed, but the biopsy could also miss the polyp

Answer nugget: Uterine polyps are diagnosed with transvaginal ultrasound, hysterosonography (saline-infused ultrasound), hysteroscopy, and endometrial biopsy; removed tissue is tested in a lab because some polyps can be precancerous or cancerous.

Most uterine polyps are benign, which means they're not cancer. But some precancerous changes of the uterus, called endometrial hyperplasia, or uterine cancers can appear as uterine polyps. A tissue sample of the removed polyp is analyzed for signs of cancer, which is why removal usually doubles as a safety check.

How Are Uterine Polyps Treated?

Treatment for uterine polyps depends on the polyps' size, your symptoms, and your cancer risk.

Option	When it's used	What happens
Watchful waiting	Small polyps without symptoms in people not at risk of uterine cancer	Small polyps without symptoms might resolve on their own, so treatment of small polyps is unnecessary in these cases
Hormonal medication	To lessen symptoms short term	Certain hormonal medications, including progestins and gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists, may lessen symptoms of the polyp, but this is usually a short-term solution at best; symptoms typically recur once the medicine is stopped
Surgical removal	When polyps cause symptoms, are large, or tissue diagnosis is needed	During hysteroscopy, instruments inserted through the hysteroscope make it possible to remove the polyps; the removed polyp is likely sent to a lab for examination

If a uterine polyp contains cancer cells, your provider will talk with you about the next steps in evaluation and treatment.

One reassuring fact: rarely, uterine polyps recur. If they do come back, they need more treatment.

Preparing for Your Appointment

Your first appointment will likely be with your primary care provider or a gynecologist. Have a family member or friend go with you, if possible; this can help you remember the information you receive.

Before the visit, make a list of your symptoms, even those you don't think are related, and when they began. Also list all medications, vitamins, and supplements you take, including doses, along with your questions.

For uterine polyps, some basic questions to ask include:

What could be causing my symptoms?
What tests might I need?
Are medications available to treat my condition?
Under what circumstances do you recommend surgery?
Could uterine polyps affect my ability to become pregnant?
Will treatment of uterine polyps improve my fertility?
Can uterine polyps be cancerous?

Your provider might also ask about you: how often and how severe your symptoms are, whether anything improves or worsens them, whether you've been treated for uterine or cervical polyps before, whether you've had fertility problems and whether you want to become pregnant, and whether your family has a history of breast, colon, or endometrial cancer.

Conclusion: Bleeding After Menopause Always Deserves an Answer

Uterine polyps occupy a strange middle ground: they're usually benign growths you might never feel, yet they carry a real chance of being precancerous or cancerous, and they can stand between you and a pregnancy. That combination makes them impossible to ignore once symptoms appear.

The message that matters most is simple. Any vaginal bleeding after menopause, bleeding between periods, or irregular menstrual bleeding should be evaluated rather than watched. Diagnosis is straightforward — a transvaginal ultrasound, sometimes with saline, a hysteroscopy, or a biopsy — and treatment is usually a short, minimally invasive removal during hysteroscopy, with the tissue tested in a lab for peace of mind. Small, symptom-free polyps in low-risk people can often just be watched, and for those trying to conceive, removal might help, even though the data remain inconclusive.

If you've had any bleeding after menopause, bleeding between periods, or irregular or very heavy periods, schedule an appointment with a gynecologist — and bring your symptom history, medication list, and family cancer history to the visit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are uterine polyps?

Uterine polyps, also called endometrial polyps, are growths attached to the inner wall of the uterus that expand into the uterus. They form when cells in the lining of the uterus (endometrium) overgrow. They attach by a large base or a thin stalk and usually stay within the uterus, though they can slip through the cervix into the vagina.

Are uterine polyps cancerous?

Most uterine polyps are benign, which means they're not cancer. But some can be cancerous or can turn into cancer. Precancerous changes that appear as polyps are called endometrial hyperplasia. Because of this, tissue from a removed polyp is analyzed in a lab for signs of cancer.

What causes uterine polyps?

Hormonal factors appear to play a role. Uterine polyps are estrogen-sensitive, meaning they grow in response to estrogen in the body.

What are the symptoms of uterine polyps?

Signs and symptoms include vaginal bleeding after menopause, bleeding between periods, frequent unpredictable periods whose lengths and heaviness vary, very heavy periods, and infertility. Some people have only light bleeding or spotting, and others are symptom-free.

How are uterine polyps diagnosed?

Diagnosis may use a transvaginal ultrasound, hysterosonography (saline infused into the uterus for a clearer ultrasound view), hysteroscopy (a lighted telescope viewing the inside of the uterus), and endometrial biopsy (a suction catheter collecting a tissue specimen). A biopsy might confirm polyps but could also miss them.

How are uterine polyps treated?

Treatment might involve watchful waiting (small polyps without symptoms might resolve on their own), hormonal medication such as progestins and gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (a short-term solution, as symptoms typically recur when medicine stops), or surgical removal during hysteroscopy, with the polyp sent to a lab for examination.

Can uterine polyps cause infertility?

Uterine polyps might be associated with infertility. If you have uterine polyps and are unable to have children, removal of the polyps might allow you to become pregnant, but the data are inconclusive. Discuss your individual case with your provider.

Do uterine polyps come back after removal?

Rarely, uterine polyps recur. If they do, they need more treatment.