Cervical Volume and Flow Indices during Pregnancy by Transvaginal 3-dimensional Ultrasonography and Doppler Angiography

Recent studies have shown that transvaginal ultrasound provides a more reliable and objective evaluation of the uterine cervix, demonstrating that the shorter the length of the cervix the higher the risk of preterm delivery. Measuring cervical volume could even be a better reflection of cervical morphology. Three-dimensional (3D) imaging combined with power Doppler, theoretically provides the possibility to assess the volume and quantify the power Doppler signal in the whole target organ, whereas information from 2D US on vascularization and blood flow is restricted to a single subjectively chosen 2D plane. The measurement of cervical indices is reproductible and could be used in clinical practice and research to determine the changes of the cervical morphology and vascularization in pregnancy. Consequently, further studies of 3D ultrasound imaging of the cervix in pregnancy and clinical correlations to obstetrical events are required for better understanding the physiology and functional pathophysiology of the cervix during pregnancy.