[Comparison of current methods of tubal patency assessment]

Most common organic cause of infertility is the blockage of the Fallopian tubes. Several methods were introduced to evaluate tubal patency. Hysterosalpingography is a conventional radiology procedure using contrast medium, which gives an accurate image of the uterine cavity and the Fallopian tubes, but radiation exposure is necessary. Hystero-contrast-sonography similarly examines the uterine cavity and tubal patency by ultrasonography, and it enables to detect pelvic pathology, too. Transvaginal hydrolaparoscopy is a minimal invasive direct method using endoscope introduced into the abdominal cavity through the posterior vaginal fornix, both ovaries and tubal patency can be observed. Laparoscopy is the "gold standard" procedure in the tubal testing, however it is a more invasive procedure. A cost-effective testing method is the selective tubal pertubation performed via office hysteroscopy. Recent outpatient methods to detect tubal patency have high negative predictive values and recommended to be the first choice in infertility work-up. Orv. Hetil., 2017, 158(9), 324-330.