First clinical experience with sonicated human serum albumin (Albunex®) as an intrafallopian ultrasound contrast medium

Abstract

The safety and preliminary efficacy of a new ultrasound contrast medium. Albunex for evaluating Fallopian tube patency during transvaginal sonography were studied in seven women. All of the women had sought medical attention because of uterine fibroids and excessive menstrual bleeding and were scheduled for a subsequent hysterosalpingectomy 3 weeks after the ultrasound examination. Albunex was injected transcervically in doses ranging from 0.5 to 9 ml, alternating with saline, during concomitant transvaginal ultrasound scanning. There were no serious adverse reactions. Peroperative macroscopic and postoperative microscopic investigations of the endometrium. Fallopian tubes and peritoneal biopsies revealed no pathological changes. Agreement between hysterosalpingo contrast sonography (HyCoSy) and postoperative testing for the evaluation of tubal patency was observed in 12 out of 14 Fallopian tubes. These findings suggest that Albunex may safely be used as an intrafallopian contrast medium in ultrasound investigations.