Color Doppler analysis of female reproductive vasculature in Behçet’s disease

Abstract

Behçet’s disease (BD) may affect female reproductive vasculature. We aimed to evaluate Doppler sonographic characteristics of female reproductive vasculature and also ovarian volume, endometrial thickness (EMT) and antral follicle count of BD patients in comparison with a healthy control group. Seventeen premenopausal women aged between 18-45 years with BD, and a control group of 31 age- and body mass index-matched healthy women was included in the study. Uterine, spiral and intraovarian artery blood flow were examined by Doppler sonography in the late follicular phase. Resistance index, pulsatility index and systolic/diastolic ratio were recorded together with ovarian volume, EMT and antral follicle count. In particular this is a pilot study including the evaluation of the spiral and uterine arteries in BD. Doppler sonographic parameters, ovarian volume, EMT and antral follicle count of BD patients and healthy controls were not found to be statistically different. As a result of our analysis, we found similar Doppler sonographic features of both BD patients and the control group. Further studies conducted on a larger sample population with more aggressive BD symptoms may reveal the actual effect of BD on the female reproductive system.

Keywords

• Behçet’s disease
• Doppler sonography
• intraovarian artery
• spiral artery
• uterine artery.