Effect of cervical priming with misoprostol on cervical entry in women undergoing vaginoscopic hysteroscopy for evaluation of abnormal uterine bleeding: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE

To study the effect of cervical priming with misoprostol on cervical entry in women undergoing diagnostic hysteroscopy for evaluation of abnormal uterine bleeding.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trial conducted in teaching hospital and tertiary referral center on 122 women requiring diagnostic hysteroscopy for evaluation of abnormal uterine bleeding. Women were randomized into two equal groups (n = 122). Study group received 200-μg vaginal misoprostol, 3 h prior to vaginoscopic hysteroscopy. No drug was used in control group. No analgesia or anesthesia was used in either group. Outcome measure included (i) ease of cervical entry (Likert scale), and (ii) pain scoring (Visual Analog Scale) and procedural entry time.

RESULTS

Forty-six (75.41%) patients in the study group and 17 (27.87%) in control group had easy or very easy entry (Likert scale-4 and 5) (p < 0.001). Median pain scoring by VAS and the median procedural entry time was significantly lower in the study group compared to the control group (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Use of 200-μg vaginal misoprostol, administered vaginally 3 h before diagnostic vaginoscopic hysteroscopy, was found to be simple and effective method of cervical priming in facilitating cervical entry with minimal side effects. Clinical Trial registry of India (CTRI): (CTRI/2015/04/005666) (website: http://ctri.nic.in ).