Uterine contractile activity in healthy women throughout the menstrual cycle measured using a novel quantitative two-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound speckle tracking method.

RESEARCH QUESTION: To explore normal uterine contractile function across the menstrual cycle using a novel quantitative ultrasound method. DESIGN: This multicentre prospective observational study took place in three European centres from 2014 to 2022. Uterine contraction frequency (contractions/minute), amplitude, direction (cervix-to-fundus, C2F; fundus-to-cervix; F2C), velocity and coordination were investigated. Features were extracted from transvaginal ultrasound recordings (TVUS) using speckle tracking. Premenopausal women ≥18 years of age, with normal, natural menstrual cycles were included. A normal cycle was defined as: regular (duration 28 ± 2 days), no dysmenorrhoea, no menometrorrhagia. Four-minute TVUS were performed during the menstrual phase, mid-follicular, late follicular phase, early luteal phase and/or late luteal phase. Of the 96 recordings available from 64 women, 70 were suitable for inclusion in the analysis. RESULTS: Contraction frequency (for the posterior wall) and velocity (for the anterior uterine wall in the F2C direction) were highest in the late follicular phase and lowest in the menstrual and late luteal phases (1.61 versus 1.31 and 1.35 contractions/min, P < 0.001 and 0.81 versus 0.67 and 0.62 mm/s, P < 0.001, respectively). No significant difference was found for contraction amplitude. Contraction coordination (simultaneous contraction of the anterior and posterior walls in the same direction) was least coordinated in the mid-follicular phase (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to objectively measure uterine contraction features in healthy women during the natural menstrual cycle on TVUS. Likewise, it introduces contraction coordination as a specific feature of uterine peristalsis. Differences in uterine contractility across the menstrual cycle are confirmed, with highest activity seen in the late follicular phase, and lowest in the late luteal phase.

Quantitative ultrasound measurement of uterine contractility in adenomyotic vs. normal uteri: a multicenter prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate uterine contractility in patients with adenomyosis compared with healthy controls using a quantitative two-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) speckle tracking method. DESIGN: A multicenter prospective observational study took place in three European centers between 2014 and 2023. SETTING: One university teaching hospital, 1 teaching hospital and 1 specialised clinic. PATIENTS: A total of 46 women with a sonographic or magnetic resonance imaging diagnosis of adenomyosis were included. 106 healthy controls without uterine pathologies were included. INTERVENTION: Four-minute TVUS recordings were performed and four uterine contractility features were extracted using a speckle tracking algorithm. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: The extracted features were contraction frequency (contractions/min), amplitude, velocity (mm/s), and coordination. Women with adenomyosis were compared with healthy controls according to the phase of the menstrual cycle. RESULTS: Throughout the different phases of the menstrual cycle, trends of increased amplitude, decreased frequency and velocity, and reduced contraction coordination were seen in patients with adenomyosis compared with healthy controls. These were statistically significant in the late follicular phase, with a higher amplitude (0.087 ± 0.042 vs. 0.050 ± 0.018), lower frequency and velocity (1.49 ± 0.22 vs. 1.68 ± 0.25 contractions/min, and 0.65 ± 0.18 vs. 0.88 ± 0.29 mm/s, respectively), and reduced contraction coordination (0.34 ± 0.08 vs. 0.26 ± 0.17), in the late luteal phase, with higher amplitude (0.050 ± 0.022 vs. 0.035 ± 0.013), lower velocity (0.51 ± 0.11 vs. 0.65 ± 0.13 mm/s), and reduced contraction coordination (0.027 ± 0.06 vs. 0.18 ± 0.07), and in the midfollicular phase, with decreased frequency (1.48 ± 0.21 vs. 1.69 ± 0.16 contractions/min) in patients with adenomyosis compared with healthy controls. During menses, a higher pain score was significantly associated with lower frequency and velocity and higher contraction amplitude. Results remained significant after correcting for age, parity, and body mass index. CONCLUSION: Uterine contractility differs in patients with adenomyosis compared with healthy controls throughout the phases of the menstrual cycle. This suggests an etiologic mechanism for the infertility and dysmenorrhea seen in patients with adenomyosis. Moreover, it presents new potential therapeutic targets and diagnostic markers.

Diagnosis of Endometriosis by Transvaginal Ultrasound: An Online Survey of Gynecologists Practising in Greece.

Accurate diagnosis and assessment of endometriosis by transvaginal ultrasound scan (TVS) can be challenging. We performed an online survey of specialist gynecologists who perform TVS on a regular basis regarding their views as well as clinical experience on the use of TVS in the diagnosis of endometrioma and deep endometriosis (DE). We collected 64 responses. Sixty-one participants (95.31%) answered that they can confidently diagnose endometrioma by TVS "always" or "most of the time". With the exception of DE of the recto-vaginal septum/posterior vaginal vault, for all other DE locations, more than 50% of participants felt that they can "rarely" or "never" diagnose it by TVS in their own clinical practice. Forty-two participants (65.6%) stated that additional, specialized training is required for the diagnosis of endometrioma. When asked about a diagnosis of DE, 58 participants (90.6%) felt that the same is required. The only statistically significant association was between the number of TVSs performed per year and the clinician's ability to diagnose bowel DE in their practice. The answers to all other questions did not differ significantly based on professional status, years of experience post-residency, or number of TVSs per year. Our results demonstrate the delayed adoption of novel diagnostic approaches in endometriosis and confirm the urgent need for specialized ultrasound training.