Hysterosalpingographic findings in women with infertility in Awka, Anambra State, South-East Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Infertility is a major concern among couples in our environment. Hysterosalpingography (HSG) is a radiological procedure used to investigate women with infertility. It can be used to assess the cervical canal, the uterine cavity, and the fallopian tubes in these women. So far, the pattern of HSG findings in Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku, Awka, has not been documented despite a lot of these investigations already carried out here. Objective: The objective of the study was to review the HSG findings among women with infertility in Awka. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study of HSG of women with infertility was carried out simultaneously at COOUTH and Amen Specialist Diagnostic Clinic, both in Awka, Anambra State, South-East Nigeria, from April 2013 to May 2017. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 was used for the analysis. Tests for central tendencies and dispersions as well as paired sample correlation tests were carried out.P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 446 cases were analyzed. The age ranged from 19 to 53 years. The mean ± standard deviation was 32.33 ± 6.02 years. The most common age group that presented was 26–30 years (33.9%), while the least were those aged ≥51 years (0.2%). Majority (56.1%) of cases presented with primary infertility while 43.9% had secondary infertility. The HSG was normal in 120 (26.9%) cases and abnormal in 326 (73.1%). Intrauterine filling defects were seen in 120 (26.9%) cases. Tubal occlusion occurred in 178 patients (40%): 106 (23.8%) bilateral, 31 (7%) left unilateral, and 41 (9.2%) right unilateral. Hydrosalpinx occurred in 49 (11%) patients: bilateral in 19 (4.26%), left unilateral in 19 (4.26%), and right unilateral in 11 (2.47%). Loculated peritoneal spillage was seen in 58 (13%) cases. Conclusion: HSG plays a vital role in the diagnostic workup of females with infertility in our environment and is therefore encouraged as a frontline investigation in women with infertility.