Objective: To assess the value of vaginal sonographic hydrotubation as a preliminary test of uterine configuration and tubal patency in infertility investigation, and to compare this new test with hysterosalpingography.
Design: A prospective blind comparison of the two tests in an unselected group of infertile women.
Setting: Hillbrow Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Subjects: Sixty women undergoing routine infertility investigations agreed to participate in the study. There were no refusals.
Interventions: Within 4 weeks before or after hysterosalpingography sonographic hydrotubation was performed as follows: The uterus and tubes were identified using a 5 MHz vaginal ultrasound probe and between 10 and 20 ml of normal saline were injected into the uterine cavity through an endocervical catheter.
Main outcome measures: The shape of the uterus and its cavity, the flow of saline through the tubes, the presence of hydrosalpinges before and after injection of saline and the presence of free fluid in the pouch of Douglas.
Results: The sonographic and hysterosalpingographic findings were similar in 82% of the women with respect to uterine assessment and in 72% with respect of tubal findings. In seven women (12%) found to have bipolar tubal disease on sonography and cornual block on hysterosalpingography, the sonographic diagnosis was confirmed at laparoscopy. Septate uterus in three women was diagnosed with greater certainty with sonographic hydrotubation.
Conclusions: Sonographic hydrotubation is a simple office procedure which should be used in the preliminary assessment of the uterine cavity and fallopian tubes. Its use will reduce the need for hysterosalpingography and in some cases laparoscopy.