Normal or abnormal? Demystifying uterine and cervical contrast enhancement at multidetector CT

Computed tomography (CT) is not generally advocated as the first-line imaging examination for disorders of the female pelvis. However, multidetector CT is often the modality of choice for evaluating nongynecologic pelvic abnormalities, particularly in emergent settings, in which all the pelvic organs are invariably assessed. Incidental findings of uterine and cervical contrast enhancement in such settings may easily be mistaken for abnormalities, given the broad spectrum of anatomic variants and enhancement patterns that may be seen in the normal uterus and cervix. The authors' review of CT and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging enhancement patterns, augmented by case examples from their clinical radiology practice, provides a solid foundation for understanding the spectrum of normal uterine and cervical appearances and avoiding potential pitfalls in the diagnosis of benign cervical lesions, adenomyosis, infection, malignancy, and postpartum effects. This information should help radiologists more confidently differentiate between normal and abnormal CT findings and, when CT findings are not definitive, offer appropriate recommendations for follow-up ultrasonography or MR imaging.