Three-Dimensional HyCoSy With Perfluoropropane-Albumin Microspheres as Contrast Agents and Normal Saline Injections Into the Pelvic Cavity for Morphological Assessment of the Fallopian Tube in Infertile Women.
OBJECTIVE
To apply the three-dimensional (3D) hysterosalpingo-contrast sonography (HyCoSy) with perfluoropropane-albumin microspheres as contrast agents and normal saline injections into the pelvic cavity for assessment of the tubal patency and adhesions of fimbrial parts.


METHODS
Fifty-five infertile female patients were recruited to undergo 3D HyCoSy with normal saline injected into the pelvic cavity, in which the tubal patency was observed by visualizing the spillage of contrast agents from the fimbriae, and the fimbrial adhesion was confirmed by the finger-like projections of the fimbriae and their floating and moving status.


RESULTS
Of the 55 patients, bilateral tubal patency was observed in 44 (80.0%), unilateral tubal patency and the other partial occlusion in 7 (12.7%), unilateral partial occlusion and the other complete occlusion in 3 (5.4%), and bilateral complete occlusion in 1 (1.8%). The fimbrial parts were observed in 105 fallopian tubes, among which 101 were seen with the finger-like fimbriae floated and moved in the pelvic cavity, whereas 4 tubes were not because of adhesion to the pelvic cavity (n = 3) or the ovary and intestine (n = 1). More than three visible, quite long, and distributed evenly finger-like projections were present for the patent fimbrial parts; however, fewer, flat, and not evenly distributed finger-like projections were present for the adhesive tubes. No serious complications occurred during or after this procedure.


CONCLUSIONS
Combination of 3D HyCoSy with normal saline injected into the pelvic cavity may be a feasible and safe procedure to assess tubal patency and adhesions of the fimbrial parts.
Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Qingqing
Q
Hong
Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Renfei
R
Cai
Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Qiuju
Q
Chen
Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Shaozhen
S
Zhang
Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Ai
A
Ai
Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Yonglun
Y
Fu
Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Yanping
Y
Kuang
D000328:Adult; D000418:Albumins; D003287:Contrast Media; D005186:Fallopian Tube Patency Tests / Q000379:methods*; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D006801:Humans; D007047:Hysterosalpingography / Q000379:methods*; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D007247:Infertility, Female; D008863:Microspheres; D010388:Pelvis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D055815:Young Adult
D000418:Albumins; D003287:Contrast Media; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D012965:Sodium Chloride; C042852:perflutren
fimbrial adhesions; infertility normal saline injected into the pelvic cavity; perfluoropropane-albumin microspheres; three-dimensional hysterosalpingo-contrast sonography; tubal patency