COLOR DOPPLER HYSTEROSALPINGOSONOGRAPHY - A SIMPLE AND POTENTIALLY USEFUL METHOD TO EVALUATE FALLOPIAN TUBAL PATENCY

The diagnostic efficacy of colour Doppler hysterosalpingosonography to evaluate Fallopian tubal patency was studied in 17 women. Of the 17 w omen, 12 were infertile and the remaining five were fertile and reques ted elective tubal ligation. Colour Doppler sonography was performed u sing the transabdominal approach 1-4 weeks after diagnostic laparoscop y during infertility work-up in the former, and 1-2 weeks after bilate ral isthmic tubal ligation in the latter group. Sterile saline was use d as the contrast agent. Laparoscopic chromopertubation was considered as the gold standard. The sensitivity and specificity of colour Doppl er sonography were found to be 93 and 83%, respectively. A kappa value of 0.73 reflected good clinical agreement between the two techniques. Colour Doppler hysterosalpingosonography is concluded to be a relativ ely accurate and simple procedure to test tubal patency. The other adv antages include absence of radiation and avoidance of potential allerg ic reactions to iodinated contrast agents employed for hysterosalpingo graphy. However, the inability to delineate the inner architecture of the genital canal and to determine the exact location of tubal obstruc tion, when present, remain the disadvantages of this technique.