The most commonly prescribed type of examination for women is pelvic ultrasound. Despite this “popularity”, many patients still have questions about what could be the reasons for being assigned to this procedure, how to prepare for it, and what its results indicate.
Why do pelvic ultrasound in women
Ultrasound (ultrasound examination) of the small pelvis is the most secure method of examination using ultrasound waves, which allows to examine the lower abdominal cavity and diagnose the condition of organs and tissues located in it.
According to the results of the ultrasound, you can make a more accurate picture of the patient's health, which helps determine the diagnosis or clarify it.
A separate advantage of ultrasound is that it does not give a static image, as in the picture (which can be quite blurred), but a dynamic picture.
The most important part of the research procedure is to prepare for it.
Most often, an appointment with a pelvic ultrasound is obtained when you need to examine the ovaries, bladder, uterus, fallopian tubes, or cervix.
Indications for pelvic ultrasound in women
During the examination of the patient, the attending physician will refer you to an ultrasound scan so that you can:
- to establish the causes of pain in the pelvic area;
- examine the shape, condition, size of the uterus and / or ovaries;
- confirm uterine pregnancy;
- identify the causes of uterine bleeding;
- establish whether there are seals, fibroids, ovarian follicles, etc.
Types of ultrasound of the pelvic organs
Before you begin preparing for an ultrasound scan, you should get some idea of how the procedure goes, especially given the fact that there are several types of ultrasound:
- Transvaginal Ultrasound
The study in accordance with this method can be carried out only for a certain period, which is determined by the attending physician, since for this method there are limitations due to individual physiological features. For the procedure using special vaginal sensors.
- Transabdominal Ultrasound
When using this method, the anterior abdominal wall is examined. It is already necessary to prepare for this type of research in advance, otherwise correct and accurate diagnosis becomes difficult.
- Combined Ultrasound
The method is based on combining the two previous methods and is most accurate.
Ultrasound of the pelvis in women: how to prepare?
To ensure the effectiveness, correctness and accuracy of the study in most cases, you should first take care of and prepare the bladder and intestines.
The transvaginal ultrasound method requires that the bladder is as empty as possible, only in this case we can talk about obtaining accurate diagnostic data.
To ensure such conditions, before the examination (several hours earlier), the intestines are cleaned with an enema.
And in the preceding procedure 1-2 days to limit the amount of consumption of products that contribute to gas formation. In addition, if possible (also a few days earlier), it is desirable to use drugs that activate the digestive process. These include: activated carbon, festal, creon, etc.
The transabdominal ultrasound method requires a slightly different preparation. The patient must ensure the fullness of the bladder. To this end, some time before the procedure should drink about a liter of water.
The fact is that in the filled state, the bladder is able to push back the intestines, making it possible to get a clear picture and reliable information about the condition and position of the pelvic organs.
In addition to the above tips for preparing for different types of research, there are also a number of general recommendations:
- you cannot eat anything on the day of the procedure (maximum yogurt or tea with a pair of cookies 10-12 hours before the examination);
- in addition, on the day of the survey, you should not use cosmetics (or use at a minimum), do not wear jewelry, change your underwear to clean (before starting the study, you will need to take off most of your clothes);
- the procedure is paid, so each patient is provided with a towel, a sheet, napkins (so that you can remove the gel residue) for her passage, which means there is no point in carrying all the same with you from home.
What shows the pelvic ultrasound in women: decoding results
Correct interpretation of the data obtained during the ultrasound scan depends on which particular organ and under what accompanying conditions it was necessary to examine.
Ultrasound examination of the cervix during pregnancy
During pregnancy, there is a complete change in the physiological parameters in the woman's body, therefore, at this stage, ultrasound is prescribed as a preventive measure, even without specific indications for this procedure.
Special attention to the condition of the fetus begin to show about the 12th week of its development. Ultrasound examination is carried out to ensure that the ovaries, walls and cervix are not burdened by tumors.
But most importantly, it is necessary to identify whether the pregnancy is ectopic. Control is also made for openness / closure of the cervix.
An open cervix entails a greater risk of miscarriage, since its premature opening may cause infection of the fetus.
By the 3D picture shown by the monitor of the ultrasound machine it is quite simple to determine the closure of the cervix. During pregnancy, an ultrasound examination will be needed at 16.20 and 24 weeks.
Ultrasound examination of the ovaries
The ovaries are the paired organ responsible for the realization of the female reproductive function. Normally, the ovaries consisting of stroma and follicles are not equipped with a membrane. Ovarian examination is necessary to clarify the absence / presence of structural changes or pathologies of condition and size.
The size of the ovaries may depend on age, the presence of excessive loads, the presence of menstruation, stress, etc.
All information obtained as a result of the examination is recorded by the doctor responsible for it, and then transferred to the gynecologist or a specialist of a different profile, if necessary. Only a health worker with relevant experience and high qualifications should make the decoding of the study and establish in accordance with this data the diagnosis.
With pelvic ultrasound, it is possible to detect various pathologies and congenital anomalies that lead to infertility, miscarriages and other problems with the onset and course of pregnancy.
Possible diagnosis
Among the diagnoses made with the help of a pelvic ultrasound study can be:
Endometriosis
A disease that is among the most commonly diagnosed by ultrasound. The essence of the disease is that the inner layers of the uterine walls grow, and the size of the uterus increases. This violation is observed in patients of childbearing age.
The prognosis may be different depending on how strongly the disease has developed. For the same reason, recommendations regarding the method of treatment may differ.
Uterine myoma
Ultrasonic waves help detect the presence / absence of benign nodules. Uterine fibroids are just one of them.
It is formed in the layer of smooth muscles that form the uterine walls and is a smooth muscle fibers randomly woven together. This problem is typical for 75% of women in child-bearing age.
Gynecologists recommend regular ultrasound examinations of the pelvic organs for prophylactic purposes.
So, for women of fertile age, the frequency of such studies should be about once a year and a half. And after 40 years - every year, because at this time the possibility of the appearance of pathologies and neoplasms sharply increases.
And a few more tips from the doctor about the preparation for ultrasound of the pelvic organs in women.
