RESUMO
PURPOSE: This prospective cross-sectional study aimed to compare uterine and ovarian arterial Doppler signals in regularly menstruating patients who had been using copper intrauterine devices (IUD) for different durations. METHODS: Four groups of participants were formed (n = 30 for each) depending on the duration of copper IUD use: less than 1 year (group 1), 1 to 3 years (group 2), and over 3 years (group 3). Women without IUDs formed the control group. All participants were called in on the fifth-eighth days of their menstrual cycle for Doppler blood flow assessment. The pulsatility index (PI) and resistance index (RI) values were recorded in uterine and ovarian arteries. RESULTS: The groups 2 and 3 had significantly higher uterine artery PI and RI values than groups 1 and 4. Furthermore, group 2 had uterine and ovarian artery PI and RI values similar to those of group 3. There was a positive relationship between uterine and ovarian arteries' PI and RI values with the duration of IUD use. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of an IUD for over a year seems to cause changes in the uterine artery PI and RI values assessed by Doppler ultrasonography.
