title: [Reconstruction and characteristics of the three-dimensional models of uterine arterial vascular network for healthy females aged 20-26 years].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the characteristics of anatomy and blood distribution of uterine arterial vascular network in vivo for healthy women aged 20-26 years by reconstructing the digital three-dimensional models based on computerized tomographic angiography (CTA) scanning technology.
  
  
  METHODS
  From August to December 2012, a total of 25 female volunteers aged 20-26 years were recruited. All of them accepted CTA scanning. Their datasets were collected for reconstructing the digital three-dimension models of normal uterine arterial vascular network by using Mimics Version 10.01 software. After recognizing the supply arteries of each part of uterus, the three dimension models were divided into corpus and cervix arterial vascular network, left and right corpus arterial vascular network, left and right cervical artery vasc ular network and then calculated the proportion of vascular volume.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Digital three-dimension models of normal uterine arterial vascular network of 25 cases were successfully reconstructed, which clearly showed the structure of the uterine artery and its branches at all levels. Under normal physiological conditions, vascular network of corpus developed in 21 cases (84%, 21/25). In these cases, bilateral vascular network were developed and supplied by the ipsilateral uterine artery respectively, where the distribution of vascular were bilateral balanced in 18 cases and unilateral predominant in 3 cases.However, 4 cases (16%, 4/25) of vascular network of corpus were not developed. There were not statistically significant of vascular network volume between both sides of uterine corpus of 25 cases digital three dimension models of normal uterine arterial vascular network (t = 1.817, P = 0.077). The cervical arterial vascular networks didn't develop in 23 cases (92%, 23/25), whereas it developed in 2 cases (8%, 2/25).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study successfully reconstructed the three dimensional models of uterine arterial vascular network for healthy females aged 20-26 years, confirming that the overall normal uterine vascular network distribution has the characteristics of bilateral, ipsilateral blood tendentious and balanced. But the cervical vascular network is rarely developing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Chunlin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. Email: lpivy@126.com.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Shizhen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Yikai
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Weili
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D055988:Uterine Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D014599:Uterus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000098:blood supply*; D055815:Young Adult