Evaluation of Uterine Artery Origins on Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Images

Abstract

Background/Aims: The origin of the uterine artery varies widely. The branching patterns of the internal iliac artery are also quite variable. Branching of the internal iliac artery in different ways is important in pelvic surgery. In our study, fertile and infertile groups were created, and the arteries that gave rise to the uterine artery were examined. Methods: A total of 152 uterine arteries (n = 152) were evaluated retrospectively on 3D contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance images. Based on the study of Gomez-Jorge, the types of origin of the uterine artery were obtained. With regards to the incidence of types, differences between the fertile and infertile groups were examined. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of the incidence of origin types (p = 0.214). Based on the study of Gomez-Jorge, five different types of origins were obtained. The most common was type I (the uterine artery being the first branch of the inferior gluteal artery) origination. Conclusions: There are studies investigating the origin of the uterine artery in literature. We believe that our findings will also contribute to the body of knowledge available.