L. Stadtmauer et L. Grunfeld, THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ENDOMETRIAL FILLING DEFECTS DETECTED ON ROUTINE TRANSVAGINAL SONOGRAPHY, Journal of ultrasound in medicine, 14(3), 1995, pp. 169-172
Citations number
10
Categorie Soggetti
Acoustics,"Radiology,Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
The objective of this study was to compare endometrial filling defects
detected on transvaginal sonography performed without distending medi
a with findings on hysterosalpingography. Forty-three infertile patien
ts were studied in the follicular phrase. Of these, 17 patients had en
dometrial contour abnormalities detected on vaginal sonogram and 26 pa
tients had no filling defects on ultrasonography. Ultrasonography of t
he endometrium and hysterosalpingography were performed on all patient
s as part of a routine workup for infertility. Patients with contour a
bnormalities detected on either hysterosalpingography or transvaginal
ultrasonography underwent hysteroscopy. When a contour abnormality was
detected on vaginal sonogram, hysterosalpingography confirmed a defec
t in 94% of the cases and hysteroscopy in 100% of the cases. Seven of
26 subjects (27%) with normal vaginal ultrasonograms had abnormal hyst
erosalpingograms; however, only two patients with a normal sonogram ha
d abnormal hysteroscopic findings. Filling defects seen on hysterosalp
ingography that were not detected on sonography include synechiae, and
cornual polyps. This study indicates that vaginal ultrasonography is
an accurate tool in the identification of submucous fibroids and polyp
s. If the examination is performed in the follicular phase, use of dis
tending medium is not necessary to detect major abnormalities of the e
ndometrium. Synechiae are not, however, visible without distention of
the endometrial cavity.