Hysterosalpingo-contrast sonography compared with hysterosalpingography and laparoscopic dye pertubation to evaluate tubal patency.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the advantages and accuracy of hysterosalpingo-contrast sonography (HyCoSy) in assessing tubal patency compared with hysterosalpingogram (HSG) and laparoscopic dye pertubation.


METHODS
Prospective study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).


METHODS
Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, University of Rome Tor Vergata.


METHODS
Twenty-three women with at least 1 year of infertility, and 15 women with a history of chronic pelvic pain, suspected endometriosis, or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), or with sonographic markers of adhesions.


METHODS
HyCoSy, HSG, and laparoscopic dye pertubation.


RESULTS
All patients underwent HyCoSy during the proliferative phase using air with saline as contrast medium, and HSG within 1 month of HyCoSy. Laparoscopy and dye pertubation were performed only in women with chronic pelvic pain, suspected endometriosis, PID, and sonographic markers of adhesions. In women undergoing all three procedures, HSG and HyCoSy had the same high concordance as laparoscopy, 86.7% and 86.7%, respectively. Three women in the infertility group became pregnant immediately after HyCoSy and dropped out of the study. In one woman, HyCoSy could not be performed because of cervical stenosis. Considering the total number of tubes (67), concordance between HyCoSy and HSG was 89.6%.


CONCLUSIONS
Transvaginal HyCoSy using a combination of air and saline appears to be an inexpensive, fast, and well-tolerated method of determining tubal patency. One of the most important advantages of this technique is, in our opinion, the possibility of obtaining information on tubal status and the uterine cavity at the same time as conventional ultrasound scan is performed.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
Caterina
C
Exacoustos
Errico
E
Zupi
Claudia
C
Carusotti
Giulio
G
Lanzi
Daniela
D
Marconi
Domenico
D
Arduini
D000388:Air; D003287:Contrast Media; D005184:Fallopian Tube Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005186:Fallopian Tube Patency Tests / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007047:Hysterosalpingography; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008751:Methylene Blue; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D014463:Ultrasonography
D003287:Contrast Media; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D008751:Methylene Blue