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Related Experiment Videos

Is a full bladder still necessary for pelvic sonography?

B R Benacerraf1, T D Shipp, B Bromley

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.

Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine : Official Journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
|April 12, 2000
PubMed
Summary

Routine pelvic sonography can be completed without a full bladder. Transvaginal ultrasound combined with an empty bladder transabdominal scan is sufficient for most gynecologic evaluations, improving patient comfort.

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Area of Science:

  • Pelvic Sonography
  • Gynecologic Imaging
  • Medical Ultrasound

Background:

  • Traditional pelvic sonography often requires a full bladder for optimal visualization.
  • Bladder distention can cause patient discomfort and may not always be necessary.
  • Evaluating the necessity of a full bladder in routine gynecologic ultrasounds is important.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if a full bladder is routinely required for complete female pelvic sonographic evaluation.
  • To assess alternative scanning techniques for gynecologic ultrasounds.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study of 206 women undergoing gynecologic sonograms.
  • Initial transabdominal scan with a full bladder.
  • Subsequent transvaginal scan, followed by transabdominal scan with an empty bladder.

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Main Results:

  • Transvaginal scan alone was sufficient in 83.5% of cases.
  • Transvaginal and empty bladder transabdominal scans were sufficient in 15.1% of cases.
  • Only 1.5% of patients required a full bladder for complete visualization.

Conclusions:

  • Transvaginal scanning with an adjunctive empty bladder transabdominal approach can replace routine full bladder technique.
  • The empty bladder transabdominal scan is particularly useful for patients with enlarged uteri.
  • Routine bladder distention for pelvic sonography is no longer considered reasonable.