OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the additional use of pulsed wave (PW) Doppler can improve the tubal diagnosis reached with gray scale imaging in doubtful cases. DESIGN: The study is an open, uncontrolled clinical trial of women of childbearing age. SETTING: Clinical environment. PATIENTS: Seventeen female patients (23 to 37 years of age) with diagnosed sterility problems. INTERVENTIONS: The contrast agent SH U 454 was administered transcervically during transvaginal gray scale and PW Doppler sonography. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Hysterosalpingo-contrast sonography by gray scale and by PW Doppler and follow-up chromolaparoscopy (n = 16) or hysterosalpingography (HSG, n = 1) were performed. The diagnostic efficacy of gray scale and PW Doppler were compared with each other and against a conventional control procedure (chromolaparoscopy or HSG). RESULTS: The gray scale findings were confirmed by PW Doppler in 5 cases on one side; confirmed by PW Doppler in 7 cases on both sides; corrected by PW Doppler in 4 cases on one side; and corrected by PW Doppler in 1 case on one side and confirmed on the other side by PW Doppler. In all 17 cases, the tubal findings after PW Doppler were confirmed by chromolaparoscopy or HSG. CONCLUSION: The additional use of PW Doppler in hysterosalpingo-contrast sonography is recommended as a supplement to gray scale imaging (1) in cases of suspected tubal occlusion and (2) in the event of intratubal flow demonstrable only over a short distance.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the additional use of pulsed wave (PW) Doppler can improve the tubal diagnosis reached with gray scale imaging in doubtful cases. DESIGN: The study is an open, uncontrolled clinical trial of women of childbearing age. SETTING: Clinical environment. PATIENTS: Seventeen female patients (23 to 37 years of age) with diagnosed sterility problems. INTERVENTIONS: The contrast agent SH U 454 was administered transcervically during transvaginal gray scale and PW Doppler sonography. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Hysterosalpingo-contrast sonography by gray scale and by PW Doppler and follow-up chromolaparoscopy (n = 16) or hysterosalpingography (HSG, n = 1) were performed. The diagnostic efficacy of gray scale and PW Doppler were compared with each other and against a conventional control procedure (chromolaparoscopy or HSG). RESULTS: The gray scale findings were confirmed by PW Doppler in 5 cases on one side; confirmed by PW Doppler in 7 cases on both sides; corrected by PW Doppler in 4 cases on one side; and corrected by PW Doppler in 1 case on one side and confirmed on the other side by PW Doppler. In all 17 cases, the tubal findings after PW Doppler were confirmed by chromolaparoscopy or HSG. CONCLUSION: The additional use of PW Doppler in hysterosalpingo-contrast sonography is recommended as a supplement to gray scale imaging (1) in cases of suspected tubal occlusion and (2) in the event of intratubal flow demonstrable only over a short distance.
Authors: W Himmel; E Ittner; M M Kochen; H W Michelmann; B Hinney; M Reuter; M Kallerhoff; R H Ringert Journal: Br J Gen Pract Date: 1997-02 Impact factor: 5.386