Introduction and historical background
The term hysteroscopy comes from the Greek term ‘hysteros’ meaning uterus and ‘scopy’ meaning to look and is the cornerstone of modern outpatient endoscopic investigation and treatment in gynaecology (1).
Pantaleoni performed the first successful diagnostic and operative hysteroscopy in 1869; he used a modified cystoscope reflecting candle light to examine and treat a polyp in a patient with postmenopausal bleeding (2). This paved the way for urologists and gynaecologists to develop and achieve further advances in endoscopic procedures. Charles David in 1907 was the first to describe a lens system that would allow uterine cavity visualization (3). It was not until 1943 when the combination of a cold light source developed by Fourestier (4) and a rod lens system developed by Hopkins dramatically improved uterine cavity assessment and formed the basis of modern-day gynaecological endoscopy.Initially hysteroscopy was developed as an inpatient procedure, which was performed under general anaesthetic. Advances in technology, in particular miniaturization of optics, have resulted in both diagnostic and minor operative procedures being performed in the office/outpatient setting (5-8); this has been shown to be safe and acceptable to women. Hysteroscopy is well accepted, convenient, cost-effective, and is seen as a rapid access ‘see and treat’ solution for several gynaecological disorders (9-11).
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