title: The use of ultrasound during intrauterine insemination in unexplained infertility may improve pregnancy outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of ultrasound guidance in intrauterine insemination (IUI).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was conducted. The data was collected from the records of 197 couples with unexplained infertility who underwent IUI with a total of 267 IUI cycles in the in vitro fertilization center of our hospital between January 2009 and December 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 267 IUI cycles, 145 were carried out as US-guided, while 122 cycles IUI were performed with a blind procedure. In the US-guided IUI and blinded IUI groups, the pregnancy rates were 23.4 and 13.9%, respectively. The difference between the groups was statistically significant (p = 0.049), thereby indicating that US guidance improves pregnancy rates. In the US-guided IUI group, 9.7% of the cases were difficult, while in the blinded IUI group, 26.2% were difficult and the difference between the groups was also statistically significant (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  US guidance in IUI improves pregnancy rates and reduces the frequency of difficult IUI.
authors.affiliation: IVF Center, Ege Maternity and Gynecology Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey. dcoztekin@gmail.com
authors.forename: Deniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oztekin
authors.forename: Emine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozcinar
authors.forename: Can
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kose
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gulhan
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozeren
authors.forename: Sivekar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tinar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014599:Uterus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*