Transvaginal salpingosonography for assessing tubal patency in women previously treated for pelvic inflammatory disease and benign ovarian tumors

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of transvaginal salpingosonography in the assessment of tubal patency among women previously treated conservatively for pelvic inflammatory disease and surgically for a benign ovarian tumor. DESIGN: Twenty-two women were recruited for this study at the University Hospital of Oulu. Transvaginal salpingosonography was scheduled to be performed twice within a 3-month interval. X-ray hysterosalpingography was chosen as a reference method and was performed within 2 days of the second salpingosonography examination during the same menstrual cycle. Altogether, 31 Fallopian tubes were assessed with the second salpingosonography examination and X-ray hysterosalpingography. RESULTS: Twenty-nine Fallopian tubes were observed by both methods to be patent (i.e. 29 tubes by each method, but not necessarily the same tubes). An occlusion was diagnosed by each method in two tubes only, of which one appeared occluded by both methods, while one tube from each method appearing to be occluded was demonstrated to be patent using the other method. The agreement of transvaginal salpingosonography compared with X-ray hysterosalpingography was 94%, the sensitivity 50%, the specificity 97%, the positive predictive value 50% and the negative predictive value 97%. Two successive transvaginal salpingosonography examinations were performed in 18 patients with 27 Fallopian tubes. Disagreement was observed for only one tube. The agreement between these two examinations was 96%, the sensitivity 100%, the specificity 96%, the positive predictive value 67% and the negative predictive value 100%. The kappa coefficient was 0.78 (95% confidence interval 0.75-0.81). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, transvaginal salpingosonography can be used in patients with previous pelvic inflammatory disease and adnexal surgery due to its ease of use, reliability and low costs on an out-patient basis. Among these patients, tubal patency was a common finding.