Analysis of the diagnosis and missed diagnosis of intrauterine adhesions by three-dimensional transvaginal sonography Render and tomographic ultrasound imaging

Abstract

Objective To investigate the value of three-dimensional transvaginal sonography(3D-TVS) in the diagnosis of intrauterine adhesions(IUA) and to analyze the causes of the missed diagnosis. Methods Forty-seven patients with IUA were examined by three-dimensional transvaginal sonography(3D-TVS), 3D volume imaging (Render imaging) and tomographic ultrasound imaging(TUI imaging) in the Union Hospital of Fujian Medical University from January 2017 to July 2019. The abnormal echo data of the endometrium were recorded and analyzed, and the ultrasound diagnosis and hysteroscopic diagnosis were compared. Results 3D-TVS correctly diagnosed IUA was accurate in the 39 cases whose ultrasound imaging showed an uneven thickness of endometrial echo with the uterine cavity line having different degrees of echo continuity interruption. The diagnostic accuracy rate was 83.0%(39/47). In the Render imaging, 7 cases showed endometrial echo with honeycomb change, 28 cases showed partial echo loss with irregular low echo zone or low echo, and 4 cases showed corneal disappearance of one side. In TUI imaging, the endometrium was partly thinned in varying degrees where echo continuity was interrupted with hypoechoic band-like changes in all 39 cases. Three of the 8 missed IUA cases showed slender endometrium with filiform or membranous adhesions, and the other 5 were patients with uterine endometrial polyps. Conclusions 3D-TVS, Render imaging and TUI imaging technology can display stereo images, which contributes to the better preoperative diagnosis and postoperative follow-up. Care should be taken to avoid missed diagnosis and to improve the diagnostic accuracy for IUA by the techniques. Key words: Ultrasonography, transvaginal, three-dimensional; Intrauterine adhesions