[Evaluation of intra-uterine pathology and tubal patency by contrast echography]

The contrast ultrasonography (CUS) is a new development of the pelvis ultrasounds. A contrast medium is injected through the cervix and is screened through the uterine cavity, the tubes and the peritoneal cavity. The contrast medium creates a new acoustic interface which improve the quality of the ultrasound imaging and the ability to diagnose endouterine pathologies. Further, tubal patency may be assessed by tracking fluid into the pouch of Douglas. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility, the accuracy and the side effects of this technique when compared with the conventional procedures. Included were two groups of patients: the group 1 (10 cases) was of patients with menometrorrhagia before undergoing an hysteroscopy; the group II (11 cases) was of infertile patients before undergoing a laparoscopic tubal patency test. This technique, of low cost and without any radiation exposure, seems to be at least as accurate as the conventional methods for the intrauterine diagnostics. It is less effectiveness for the evaluation of the tubal patency. No side effect occurred in this study.