Early pregnancy diagnosis at 21 days post artificial insemination using corpus luteum vascular perfusion compared to corpus luteum diameter and/or echogenicity in Nelore heifers.

The objective was to compare the use of corpus luteum (CL) vascular perfusion to CL diameter and/or echogenicity to diagnose pregnancy at 21 d after timed-AI. Ovaries of Nelore heifers were assessed using ultrasonography in B-mode and color Doppler simultaneously 21 d after timed-AI (n = 113). Objective evaluations were performed using an image processing software to extract the number of colored pixels (ColorPix), diameter (mm) and echogenicity/mm² (EchoPix) of the CL. Subjective evaluations of the CL were performed by five evaluators using scores of estimated vascular perfusion area of color Doppler scan videos and estimated CL size and qualitative echogenicity of B-mode scan videos. The reference pregnancy diagnosis was performed 33 d after timed-AI using an ultrasonic device. Corpus luteum ColorPix, diameter and EchoPix were highly correlated (P < 0.001) with pregnancy. Pregnancy diagnosis accuracy, sensitivity, and negative predictive value were not different for CL ColorPix and diameter and was less with use of EchoPix compared to the other parameters. Size and vascular perfusion scores were correlated to the greatest extent (0.88-0.94) with the respective objective values within evaluator. The results from the ROC curve analysis indicated a smaller area under the curve for qualitative echogenicity compared to CL size and vascular perfusion. Corpus luteum vascular perfusion was the only subjective evaluation that when assessed there were no false negative pregnancy diagnoses. In conclusion, the use of the objective CL diameter resulted in the same efficacy as CL vascular perfusion evaluations for early pregnancy diagnosis in Nelore heifers.

[Uterine, adnexal and cul-de-sac masses. Comparative study by intravaginal and trans-abdominal echography]. / Massas uterinas, anexiais e do fundo de saco. Estudo comparativo por ecografia endovaginal e trans-abdominal.

42 female patients were selected for Trans-Vaginal Sonography (TVS) in an ultrasonographic study, after clinical examination, computed tomography or a previous study had suggested the existence of one or more lumps in the pelvic cavity. The TVS method gave higher quality diagnostic information in 55% of the cases studied, while the Trans-Abdominal method was better in 12.5% of the cases. In 79% of the cases the TVS was considered better in image quality while 11% of the cases showed the same image quality in all of the methods. The results agree with those obtained by other authors and confirm that Trans-Vaginal Sonography is of considerable value in the study of female pelvis, as an isolated exploration, complementary or otherwise with subsequent abdominal examination with or without a full bladder.