Colour Doppler hysterosalpingosonography: a simple and potentially useful method to evaluate Fallopian tubal patency

Abstract

The diagnostic efficacy of colour Doppler hysterosalpingosonography to evaluate Fallopian tubal patency was studied in 17 women. Of the 17 women, 12 were infertile and the remaining five were fertile and requested elective tubal ligation. Colour Doppler sonography was performed using the transabdominal approach 1-4 weeks after diagnostic laparoscopy during infertility work-up in the former, and 1-2 weeks after bilateral isthmic tubal ligation in the latter group. Sterile saline was used as the contrast agent. Laparoscopic chromopertubation was considered as the gold standard. The sensitivity and specificity of colour Doppler sonography were found to be 93 and 83%, respectively. A kappa value of 0.73 reflected good clinical agreement between the two techniques. Colour Doppler hysterosalpingosonography is concluded to be a relatively accurate and simple procedure to test tubal patency. The other advantages include absence of radiation and avoidance of potential allergic reactions to iodinated contrast agents employed for hysterosalpingography. However, the inability to delineate the inner architecture of the genital canal and to determine the exact location of tubal obstruction, when present, remain the disadvantages of this technique.

A study of sonosalpingogram compared to laparoscopic chromopertubation in the evaluation of tubal patency

“…[11][12] With the advent of high resolution USG machine the diagnosis of tubal patency is made easy and non-invasive using saline as a contrast agent. The patient comes in the first half of the cycle, before ovulation.…”

Air-contrast sonohysterography as a first step assessment of tubal patency.

“…Seven studies had combined Doppler interrogation with gray scale sonography to improve the demonstration of the tube in cases of nonvisualization. [8][9][10][11][12][13][14] We had great expectation that Doppler sonography and in particular power (energy) Doppler technique would be useful to assess the passage of air in the tubes. In practice, power Doppler sonography caused so many artifacts that identifica-tion of the tubes was more difficult.…”

Sonography of pelvic infection

“…The published results are interesting and include authors like Yarali [2] who have complemented their work with the use of Doppler. Nevertheless, the sonographic technology will provide less information about the morphology of the fallopian tube, its internal structure and the location of obstruction.…”