Saline infusion sonohysterography in endometrial exploration

Abstract

Contrast substances have been an extremely important addition in the ultrasonographic examination of the female internal genital organs. Saline infusion sonohysterography consists of the transcervical instillation of fluid into the uterine cavity to improve endometrial visualization while performing a transvaginal ultrasound evaluation. Therefore, benign endometrial pathology such as hyperplasia, but most of all focal lesions like polyps, leiomyomas, or adhesions, as well as suspected malignant pathology such as endometrial cancer, can be better assessed during ultrasound examination. Saline infusion sonohysterography is an important tool for avoiding unnecessary biopsies in postmenopausal women with an apparent thicker endometrium; for women of fertile age, saline infusion sonohysterography can be used to select those females who require further therapeutic procedures, especially in infertility, caused by endometrial pathology. Sonohysterography is very well tolerated by patients, has a minimum degree of discomfort, can be performed without hospitalization and can be easily performed at a reduced cost.