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Chapter 10 - Sonographic Assessment of Fallopian Tubes and Tubal Pathologies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2020

Kanna Jayaprakasan ,
Lukasz Polanski  and
Kamal Ojha
By
Sonal Panchal  and
Chaitanya Nagori
Kanna Jayaprakasan
Affiliation:
Department of Maternity and Gynaecology, Royal Derby Hospital, Derby
Lukasz Polanski
Affiliation:
Assisted Conception Unit, Guy’s Hospital, London
Kamal Ojha
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St George's University Hospital, London
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Summary

While the uterus, cervix and ovaries can be well assessed by transvaginal ultrasound, normal fallopian tubes are not visible on ultrasound. Therefore, evaluation of the fallopian tubes needs special consideration. Tubal disease accounts for a significant proportion of female infertility and pelvic pain . The fallopian tubes may be damaged, most commonly due to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), but endometriosis, previous pelvic surgery, fibroids, and pelvic tuberculosis may also be seen as frequent causes for tubal damage . Prior uterine surgeries like surgical or medical termination of pregnancy and myomectomy may predispose to subclinical inflammation or infection leading to tubal damage. Tubal patency may also be affected due to polyps, myomas or salpingitis isthmica nodosa, though the latter is not very commonly seen and not very confidently diagnosed on ultrasound.

Type
Chapter
Information
Gynaecological Ultrasound Scanning
Tips and Tricks
 , pp. 127 - 144
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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