Sonographic demonstration of air in the myometrium. A complication of culdocentesis

Six cases are presented in which air was seen in the myometrium in the distribution of the arcuate vessels during sonography performed after culdocentesis to exclude ectopic pregnancy. Three of these patients had viable intrauterine pregnancies; the others had an incomplete abortion, a complete abortion, and a right ectopic pregnancy. This relatively rare complication of culdocentesis should be kept in mind, especially when scanning patients with suspected inflammatory process of the uterus, so as not to confuse air in the arcuate vessels with a uterine abscess.