EP31.11: Reference ranges for uterine vein diameters

Abstract

Pelvic varicosities (PV) are said to contribute to pelvic pain, however there is no universal consensus for a dilated pelvic vein. The aim of this study was to provide a reference range for uterine vein diameters in women with normal pelvic organs. This was a prospective cross-sectional study. Exclusion criteria included age<18 years, previous hysterectomy, contraindication to/declining TVS. The largest trunk of the uterine venous plexus was identified in the transverse plane on each side. The maximum antero-posterior vessel diameter was measured and the mean of three measurements was taken as the representative value. Histograms were used to examine the shape of the distributions and normal ranges were quantified by calculating centiles. A comparison between left and right uterine veins were made using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. 486/1500 (32%) women had normal pelvic organs on ultrasound scan and were included in the final analysis. The median age and BMI were 37 years (IQR: 31 – 48) and 22.3 (IQR: 20.4 – 25.3) respectively. 227/486 were nulliparous. Then median diameter was 3.1mm (range 1.2 – 11.5). There was no significant difference in diameters between the left and right side (p = 0.37). This study provides a reference range for uterine veins in women with normal pelvic organs using TVS. The overall median diameters were equal bilaterally, with no statistical difference between the two sides. In previous studies, a diameter of 4mm would be regarded as dilated and hence women being diagnosed with PV. Our findings show that what may previously been regarded as dilated and a cause for pain, may be within the normal spectrum. EP31.11: Table 1. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.