[Transvaginal pulsed color Doppler ultrasound in the study of the menstrual cycle]

Pulsed colour-Doppler imaging in the latest development in transvaginal sonography. Our objective is to study the uterine and ovarian perfusion during the menstrual cycle in normal fertile conditions. We studied 11 healthy volunteer women free of hormonal treatment. All studies were performed by the same operator, with the same sonograph. Measurements are made in the uterine arteries and their branches (arcuate, radial, spiral arteries) and in the ovarian vessels. The resistance index of Pourcelot (RI = [sequence: see text]) is used as reference. The statistic test is the non-parametric test of Kruskall-Wallis. The uterine and ovarian vascularization varied greatly during the menstrual cycle. Blood flow increased significantly in the luteal phase in the uterine arteries and their branches even in the active ovarian arteries. So, in the uterine artery, the RI was 0.43 in the follicular phase, 0.50 during the ovulatory peak, and 0.41 in the luteal phase. These variations were significant (p = 0.04). These results were the same all along the uterine artery. In the acurate arteries, the RI was respectively 0.75, 0.93, 0.72 at the same time of the menstrual cycle (p = 0.04). In an anovulatory cycle, blood flow remained unchanged and the arterial compliance remained stable. Quick and reproductible blood flow measurements are possible with transvaginal colour-Doppler. Millimetric vessels such as arcuate, radial and spiral arteries can be studied. This non-invasive technology can be used as a part of routine work in the management of infertility.