title: Sonography of the clitoris.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of invasive procedures in diagnosing female sexual dysfunctions and pathologies is high. There is a need for a less invasive evaluation tool and medical imaging of the clitoris may be a solution. The clitoris has already been studied with nuclear magnetic resonance but there are very few sonographic 2D and 3D studies despite the fact that it is a simple, noninvasive, and inexpensive method.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aims at determining the feasibility of using ultrasound (US) techniques to image the clitoris in sufficient detail to permit evaluation of anatomy for possible use in study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ultrasounds were performed in five healthy volunteers with the Voluson GE Sonography system (GE Healthcare Ultrasound, Zipf, Austria), using one 12-MHz flat probe.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clitoral body's diameter, the length of the raphe.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The three planes-the cross-section, sagittal section, and coronal section-were revealed making it possible to study the entire organ.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The sonography is a simple, inexpensive, noninvasive mean which might help for the evaluation of this organ.
authors.affiliation: Centre d'échographie, Saint Germain en Laye, France. odilebuisson@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Odile
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Buisson
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Foldes
authors.forename: Bernard-Jean
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Paniel
mesh_terms: D002987:Clitoris / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014621:Vagina / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016387:Women's Health