title: Development of an ultrasonic method to detect cervical remodeling in vivo in full-term pregnant women.
abstract: The objective of this study was to determine whether estimates of ultrasonic attenuation could detect changes in the cervix associated with medically induced cervical remodeling. Thirty-six full-term pregnant women underwent two transvaginal ultrasonic examinations separated in time by 12 h to determine cervical attenuation, cervical length and changes thereof. Ultrasonic attenuation and cervical length data were acquired from a zone (Zonare Medical Systems, Mountain View, CA, USA) ultrasound system using a 5-9 MHz endovaginal probe. Cervical attenuation and cervical length significantly decreased in the 12 h between the pre-cervical ripening time point and 12 h later. The mean cervical attenuation was 1.1 ± 0.4 dB/cm-MHz before cervical ripening agents were used and 0.8 ± 0.4 dB/cm-MHz 12 h later (p < 0.0001). The mean cervical length also decreased from 3.1 ± 0.9 cm before the cervical ripening was administered to 2.0 ± 1.1 cm 12 h later (p < 0.0001). Cervical attenuation and cervical length detected changes in cervical remodeling 12 h after cervical ripening administration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Women Children and Family Health Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. Electronic address: bmcfar1@uic.edu.
authors.forename: Barbara L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: McFarlin
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rush University, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Balash
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
authors.forename: Viksit
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Bigelow
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rush University, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Pombar
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Jacques S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Abramowicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
authors.forename: William D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: O'Brien
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D054791:Cervical Length Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Cervical length; Cervical remodeling; Cervical ripening; Ultrasonic attenuation