Kim Hyunjung, Hwang Han Sung
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Research Institute of Medical Science, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Obstet Gynecol Sci. 2017 Jan;60(1):1-7. doi: 10.5468/ogs.2017.60.1.1. Epub 2017 Jan 19.
The cervix is a cylindrical structure that is proximally connected to the uterus and distally to the vaginal cavity. The Bishop score has been used to evaluate the cervix during pregnancy. However, alternatives have been evaluated because the Bishop score is uncomfortable for patients, relies on a subjective examination, and lacks internal os data. Elastography has been used to assess the cervix, as it can estimate tissue stiffness. Recent articles on elastography for cervical assessment during pregnancy have focused on its usefulness for prediction of preterm birth and successful labor induction. There is a clinical need for cervical elastography, as an evaluation of biomechanical factors, because cervical length only assesses morphological changes. However, until now, cervical elastography has been studied in the limited field, and not shown a uniformed methodological technique. In this review, the current status, limitations, and future possibility of cervical elastography were discussed. Future studies should focus on overcoming the limitations of cervical elastography. Although the cervical elastography is presently an incompletely defined technique, it needs to be improved and evaluated as a method for use in combination with cervical length.
子宫颈是一个圆柱形结构，近端连接子宫，远端连接阴道腔。Bishop评分一直用于评估孕期的子宫颈。然而，由于Bishop评分让患者不适、依赖主观检查且缺乏宫颈内口数据，人们已经对其他方法进行了评估。弹性成像已被用于评估子宫颈，因为它可以估计组织硬度。最近关于孕期子宫颈弹性成像评估的文章主要关注其对早产预测和引产成功的有用性。作为生物力学因素的评估方法，子宫颈弹性成像在临床上是有需求的，因为宫颈长度仅评估形态学变化。然而，到目前为止，子宫颈弹性成像仅在有限的领域进行了研究，尚未显示出统一的方法技术。在本综述中，讨论了子宫颈弹性成像的现状、局限性和未来可能性。未来的研究应专注于克服子宫颈弹性成像的局限性。尽管目前子宫颈弹性成像是一种定义不完整的技术，但它需要作为一种与宫颈长度联合使用的方法进行改进和评估。
