The value of sonohysterography in the diagnosis of tubal patency among infertile patients.

BACKGROUND

Tubal pathology is one of the main causes of infertility. In the routine fertility work-up, our ability to evaluate tubal function is limited to tubal patency and peritubal adhesions.

AIMS

To assess the value of sonohysteroography (SHG) in evaluation of tubal patency in infertile patients and to compare its results with hysterosalpingography and laparoscopy. methods: In this prospective study, 40 consecutive women were underwent three methods of exploration of tubal patency: hysterosalpingography, sonohysteroography and laparoscopy with dye test, within a period of 6 months.

RESULTS

The Mean age of our patients was 32 ± 5 years. Of the 40 women who were recruited, 30 had primary and 10 had secondary infertility. Altogether 80 tubes were exanimated by these 3 methods. Sonosalpingography showed patency in 51(63.7%) tubes, hysterosalpingography in 47 (58.7%) tubes, and laparoscopy in 52 (65%) tubes. Sonosalpingography and laparoscopy agreed in 70 out of 80 tubes (concordance, 87.5%). As regards the appearance of the right and left tubes, the results of sonohysterography agreed with laparoscopy in 75% and 87.5%, respectively, while HSG agreed with laparoscopy in 64% and 54% respectively.

CONCLUSION

SHG is useful in the assessment of tubal patency and its implication in the fertility workup as a simple and fast procedure can minimize costes and abus of sophisticated techniques.