Uterine contractility evaluated on cine magnetic resonance imaging.

The inherent contractility of the uterus has attracted concern of researchers and exhibits two known patterns of contraction. One is focal and sporadic bulging of the myometrium, and the other is rhythmic and subtle stripping movement in the subendometrial myometrium, known as uterine peristalsis. Recent development in the ultrafast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques has enabled us to observe these uterine contractions directly and noninvasively. Although the mechanisms and relationship of these two kinds of myometrial contractions and their relations to age, pharmaceutical administration such as oral contraceptives (OCs), and a variety of gynecologic and obstetrical problems are still under debate, cine MRI can be applied for directly monitoring changes of the uterus related to important uterine functions such as fertility and menstrual problems.