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Published on: April 18, 2013
Potential therapeutic effects of contrast materials in hysterosalpingography: a prospective randomized clinical
D B Spring1, H E Barkan, S C Pruyn
1Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Oakland, CA 94611-5693, USA.
Purpose:
To evaluate the influence of the contrast material used in hysterosalpingography (HSG) on subsequent reproductive success, independent of other therapeutic interventions.
Materials And Methods:
In a prospective, multisite, randomized trial, 666 women who had been infertile for more than 1 year and were scheduled to undergo HSG as part of their evaluation were assigned to one of three groups: those receiving water-soluble contrast material (WSCM) (n = 260), those receiving oil-soluble contrast material (OSCM) (n = 273), and those receiving both OSCM and WSCM (n = 133). Possible causes of infertility and therapeutic interventions were abstracted from the medical records. Data on conception within 1 year and the outcome of conception were ascertained from multiple sources.
Results:
Of 666 women, 204 (30.6%) had at least one pregnancy, and 136 (20.4%) had live births. The rates of live births were 20.4% (54 of 260) after HSG with WSCM, 19.4% (53 of 273) after HSG with OSCM, and 21.8% (29 of 133) after HSG with both WSCM and OSCM. Differences in reproductive outcome among contrast material groups were not statistically significant ((chi2)8 = 6.08, P = .64). Whatever the cause of infertility, the use of different contrast materials led to no significant differences in the rates of live births.
Conclusion:
There is no evidence to suggest that the choice of contrast material affects the rate of term pregnancy.
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