title: Perfusion of the uterine junctional zone in nulliparous and primiparous women assessed by DCE-MRI, as a function of menstrual cycle and hormonal contraception.
abstract: To evaluate the perfusion parameters of inner and outer myometrium in healthy nulliparous and primiparous women who are and who are not currently using hormonal contraceptives by means of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI).
  
  
  
  We performed pelvic 1.5T DCE-MRI on 98 women: 18 nulliparous non-users, 30 nulliparous users, 12 primiparous non-users and 38 primiparous users of hormonal contraception (mean age respectively 26.4, 25.8, 30.23 and 28.18years). The nulliparous non-users underwent DCE-MRI investigations during their follicular, ovulatory and luteal phase. Perfusion parameters (iAUC/volume, Ktrans, Kep and Ve) were assessed in the anterior and posterior junctional zone (JZ), outer myometrium and cervix.
  
  
  
  In nulliparous non-users, the mean Ktrans and iAUC/volume showed a decrease from follicular to luteal phase (0.82 vs 0.55min-1for Ktrans, p=0/027 and 1.28 vs 0.68 for iAUC/volume, p<0.001). The anterior JZ demonstrated lower Ktrans (p=0.050) and higher Kep (p=0.012), in nulliparous non-users, lower Ktrans in nulliparous users (p<0.001) and lower Ve in primiparous users (p=0.012) than the anterior outer myometrium. Ktrans at the anterior and posterior JZ wall in nulliparous users was lower than in non-users (p=0.001 and p=0.013) and Ve at the anterior JZ wall in primiparous users was lower than in non-users (p=0.044).
  
  
  
  This study provides data on normal perfusion parameters of inner and outer myometrium, which may be potentially useful in assisted reproductive therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Genk, Belgium. Electronic address: liesbethmeylaerts@gmail.com.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Meylaerts
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Genk, Belgium; Faculty of Medicine and Biomedicine at Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wijnen
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hôpital Tenon, Paris, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bazot
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Genk, Belgium.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grieten
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Genk, Belgium.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ombelet
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Biomedicine at Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vandersteen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019540:Area Under Curve; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D009215:Myometrium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010298:Parity; D010477:Perfusion; D014599:Uterus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
chemical_list: D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal; D003287:Contrast Media
keywords: DCE-MRI; Junctional zone; Nulliparous; Outer myometrium; Perfusion; Primiparous