Diagnostic Accuracy of Transvaginal Sonography in Infertile Patients with Endometrial Polyps

Abstract

Background To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of transvaginal sonography (TVS) in infertile patients and compare its results with hysteroscopy as the gold standard. Materials and methods A total of 679 infertile women who underwent both TVS and diagnostic hysteroscopy were retrospectively investigated. TVS was performed in the mid-follicular phase (days 5-8) of their cycles. Sensitivity specificity and positive and negative predictive values were calculated for TVS. Results Hysteroscopy diagnosed endometrial polyps in 197 out of 679 cases (24.5%). TVS confirmed the hysteroscopy findings in 174 of 197 (88.3%) cases. The sensitivity specificity and positive and negative predictive values of TVS compared to hysteroscopy in the detection of endometrial polyps were 88.3% 91.9% 81.6% and 90.8% respectively. Conclusion TVS is both a cost-effective and non-invasive method for the diagnosis of intrauterine lesions such as polyps. When used in conjunction with a saline infusion it can be a proper alternative for diagnostic hysteroscopy that saves time and enables the surgeon to perform the operative hystroscopy procedure with greater accuracy.

Keywords

• endometrial polyp
• diagnosis
• infertility