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“Cogwheel” and other signs of hydrosalpinx and pelvic inclusion cysts
These types of cysts do not require further imaging if diagnosis is certain. When can you be confident with the final diagnosis? These authors...
Transvaginal ultrasound: We are gaining a better understanding of its clinical applications
Steven R. Goldstein, MD
In my first book I coined the phrase "sonomicroscopy." We are seeing things with transvaginal ultrasonography (TVUS) that you could not see with your naked eye even if you could it hold it at arms length and squint at it. For instance, cardiac activity can be seen easily within an embryo of 4 mm at 47 days since the last menstrual period. If there were any possible way to hold this 4-mm embryo in your hand, you would not appreciate cardiac pulsations contained within it! This is one of the beauties, and yet potential foibles, of TVUS.
In this excellent pictorial article, Michelle Stalnaker Ozcan, MD, and Andrew M. Kaunitz, MD, have done an outstanding job of turning this low-power "sonomicroscope" into the uterus to better understand a number of unique yet important clinical applications of TVUS.
Tamoxifen is known to cause a slight but statistically significant increase in endometrial cancer. In 1994, I first described an unusual ultrasound appearance in the uterus of patients receiving tamoxifen, which was being misinterpreted as "endometrial thickening," and resulted in many unnecessary biopsies and dilation and curettage procedures.1 This type of uterine change has been seen in other selective estrogen-receptor modulators as well.2,3 In this article, Drs. Ozcan and Kaunitz correctly point out that such an ultrasound pattern does not necessitate any intervention in the absence of bleeding.
Another common question I am often asked is, "How do we handle the patient whose status is post-endometrial ablation and presents with staining?" The scarring shown in the figures that follow make any kind of meaningful evaluation extremely difficult.
There has been an epidemic of cesarean scar pregnancies when a subsequent gestation implants in the cesarean scar defect.4 Perhaps the time has come when all patients with a previous cesarean delivery should have their lower uterine segment scanned to look for such a defect as shown in the pictures that follow. If we are not yet ready for that, at least early TVUS scans in subsequent pregnancies, in my opinion, should be employed to make an early diagnosis of such cases that are the precursors of morbidly adherent placenta, a potentially life-threatening situation that appears to be increasing in frequency.
Finally, look to obgmanagement.com for next month's web-exclusive look at outstanding images of patients who have undergone transcervical sterilization.
Dr. Goldstein is Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York University School of Medicine, Director, Gynecologic Ultrasound, and Co-Director, Bone Densitometry, New York University Medical Center. He also serves on the OBG Management Board of Editors.
Dr. Goldstein reports that he has an equipment loan from Philips, and is past President of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.
References
- Goldstein SR. Unusual ultrasonographic appearance of the uterus in patients receiving tamoxifen. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1994;170(2):447–451.
- Goldstein SR, Neven P, Cummings S, et al. Postmenopausal evaluation and risk reduction with lasofoxifene (PEARL) trial: 5-year gynecological outcomes. Menopause. 2011;18(1):17–22.
- Goldstein SR, Nanavati N. Adverse events that are associated with the selective estrogen receptor modulator levormeloxifene in an aborted phase III osteoporosis treatment study. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2002;187(3):521–527.
- Timor-Tritsch IE, Monteagudo A. Unforeseen consequences of the increasing rate of cesarean deliveries: early placenta accreta and cesarean scar pregnancy. A review. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2012;207(1):14–29.
New technology, minimally invasive surgical procedures, and medications continue to change how physicians manage specific medical issues. Many procedures and medications used by gynecologists can cause characteristic findings on sonography. These findings can guide subsequent counseling and management decisions and are important to accurately interpret on imaging. Among these conditions are Asherman syndrome, postendometrial ablation uterine damage, cesarean scar defect, and altered endometrium as a result of tamoxifen use. In this article, we provide 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional sono‑graphic images of uterine presentations of these 4 conditions.
Asherman syndromeCharacterized by variable scarring, or intrauterine adhesions, inside the uterine cavity following endometrial trauma due to surgical procedures, Asherman syndrome can cause menstrual changes and infertility. Should pregnancy occur in the setting of Asherman syndrome, placental abnormalities may result.1 Intrauterine adhesions can follow many surgical procedures, including curettage (diagnostic or for missed/elective abortion or retained products of conception), cesarean delivery, and hysteroscopic myomectomy. They may even occur after spontaneous abortion without curettage. Rates of Asherman syndrome are highest after procedures that tend to cause the most intrauterine inflammation, including2:
- curettage after septic abortion
- late curettage after retained products of conception
- hysteroscopy with multiple myomectomies.
In severe cases Asherman syndrome can result in complete obliteration of the uterine cavity.3
