Pnm-10: The Usage of Sonography and Color Doppler in Infertility

Infertility is defined as the failure to conceive a desired pregnancy after 12 months of unprotected intercourse, and affects 10 percent of married couples. The causes of infertility can involve one or both partners. Causes of female infertility: • Fallopian tube factors (damage or blockage due to salpingitis, EP) • Ovulation disorders (PCOS ,Early menopause ) • Uterine factors • Intrauterine lesions (fibroids, polyps, synechiae) • Structural pathology (mullerian duct anomalies) • Pelvic adhesions • Endometriosis • Elevated prolactin. Sonography is commonly regarded as the preferred imaging modality in the study of the female pelvis. It is widely available, noninvasive. Relatively cheap, does not use ionizing radiations, and is able to provide definitive diagnostic information in a large variety of clinical settings. Different types of sonography: • Trans abdominal • Trans vaginal • Trans rectal • Hysterosonography • Color Doppler and pulsed Doppler sonography • Three-dimensional sonography. Transvaginal sonography (TVS) has a vital role in the management of infertility disorders related to a variety of gynecologic disorders. The addition of color Doppler capabilities to transvaginal probes permits visualization of small intraovarian and endometrial vessels, allowing depiction of normal and abnormal physiologic changes in the ovary and uterus. Ultrasound is commonly regarded as the first approach to the infertile patient and is employed for four main purpose: identification and documentation of the integrity of the reproductive tract as a conduit for the passage of gametes and embryos; detection of pathological processes that may be a cause of or a contributing factor to infertility; monitoring cyclic changes of the uterus and ovary to document normal physiology or pathological situations; and monitoring and guiding infertility treatment.