title: Saline contrast hysterosonography in infertile patients and in women with abnormal uterine bleeding.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We conducted this prospective study to evaluate saline contrast hysterosonography (SCHS) as a diagnostic modality for intrauterine lesions in comparison to hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 135 patients, of whom 70 presented with abnormal uterine bleeding and 65 with subfertility problems. All cases were examined with conventional transvaginal sonography and were further investigated with SCHS using saline as contrast medium, and finally hysteroscopy with endometrial biopsy that was used as the reference test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SCHS revealed the presence of intrauterine pathology in 23 cases and failed in three (4.2%). SCHS had a sensitivity of 94%, a specificity of 71%, a positive predictive value of 76% and a negative predictive value of 95% in the abnormal uterine group. In subfertile patients, SCHS revealed the presence of intrauterine pathology in 34 cases and had a sensitivity of 96%, a specificity of 74%, a positive predictive value of 79% and a negative predictive value of 95%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that SCHS is an extremely accurate modality for the diagnosis of focal endometrial pathology, compared to diagnostic hysteroscopy.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Alexandra Maternity Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Milingos
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kallipolitis
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stefanidis
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sklia
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Makris
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Loutradis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antsaklis
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Michalas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015907:Hysteroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D012965:Sodium Chloride