title: The utility of cervical elastosonography in prediction of cervical insufficiency: cervical elastosonography and cervical insufficiency.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the utility of cervical elastosonography (ES) in prediction of cervical insufficiency (CI).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 40 women, of which 20 who had previously received the diagnosis of CI and 20 healty women were included in the study. None of the women were pregnant. All subjects underwent sonographic evaluation including cervical length measurement and ES of uterine cervix. Adjacent muscular tissue was the reference point for elastosonography evaluation. Tissue strain ratio values were obtained from all the patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The area around the internal cervical os of the group with CI was found to be significantly softer as compared to the control group (higher SR rate, p < 0.05). Furthermore, the outer parts of the cervix (sites A and D) were also found harder in the group that had CI (lower SR rate, p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to our knowledge, this is preliminary study to evaluate the predictive value of cervical ES in CI and we concluded that ES can be used as reliable method to determine CI but it is necessary to be studied in different cohort groups.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Sami Ulus Women Health and Research Hospital , Ankara , Turkey .
authors: Fatma Doğa
authors: FD
authors: Öcal
authors: Yasemin
authors: Y
authors: Çekmez
authors: Emre
authors: E
authors: Erdoğdu
authors: Murad
authors: M
authors: Gezer
authors: İnci
authors: İ
authors: Fanuscu
authors: Handan
authors: H
authors: Özkan
authors: Osman Fadil
authors: OF
authors: Kara
authors: Tuncay
authors: T
authors: Küçüközkan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D054791:Cervical Length Measurement; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D002581:Uterine Cervical Incompetence / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
keywords: Cervical insufficiency; elastosonography; recurrent pregnancy loss; ultrasound