SONOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF THE WALL THICKNESS OF THE LOWER UTERINE SEGMENT IN PATIENTS WITH PREVIOUS CESAREAN-SECTION

In pregnant women with a history of cesarean section, wall thickness o f the lower uterine segment may help determine the risk and safety of vaginal delivery. Determination of wall thickness may help identify th e potential risk of uterine rupture in pregnant women who do not wish to have another cesarean section or who are not eligible for surgery d ue to other systemic disorders. In this study, 50 pregnant women with previous cesarean sections were evaluated with ultrasound preoperative ly, and measurements of the lower uterine segment wall thickness were compared with intraoperative assessment of uterine thinning. These fin dings correlated highly with each other (sensitivity: 100%; specificit y: 82% positive predictive value: 87%; negative predictive value: 100% ), suggesting the reliability and safety of ultrasound in evaluating u terine wall thickness. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.