For a basic examination of women's health, the patient is first prescribed pelvic ultrasound. Today it is one of the most affordable and highly effective diagnostic methods. Every girl and woman should know that ultrasound of the pelvic organs includes not only the dynamics of pregnancy, but also diagnostics for the presence of deviations in the urinary and reproductive system.
Thanks to ultrasound, you can conduct a detailed examination of the following organs:
- uterine body and ectopic space;
- fallopian tubes (another name - fallopian tubes);
- Cervix;
- left and right ovary;
- bladder;
- intestines.
Ultrasound examination is absolutely safe for human health and does not bring any pain to the patient during the procedure. Also an undoubted plus is that before ultrasound of the pelvic organs in women, preparation does not require special efforts. The type of diagnosis performed depends on the patient's condition, indications and the purpose of the examination. Properly selected ultrasound of the pelvic organs shows what became the root cause of the development of the disease or discomfort of the woman.
Transvaginal ultrasound
The method is the most popular and high precision. It is assigned to absolutely all representatives of the weaker sex who live sexually. Its essence lies in the introduction of an ultrasonic sensor of the diagnostic apparatus to a woman in the vagina, which allows a detailed study of the structure and size of organs. Transvaginal ultrasound allows you to get as close as possible to the studied anatomical structures.
The list of indications for transvaginal ultrasound:
- routine inspection;
- control over the condition of the ovaries while taking oral hormonal contraceptives;
- prolonged delay in menstruation;
- diagnosis and dynamics of pregnancy;
- irregular menstruation;
- sharp pains in the lower abdomen;
- suspected inflammation during examination by a gynecologist;
- infertility.
An exception to the procedure is situations where a threat of abortion is diagnosed.
Transabdominal examination
Transabdominal ultrasound of the pelvic organs in women is the second most informative and popular method after transvaginal. Diagnosis is carried out externally, through the patient's anterior abdominal wall. The ultrasonic sensor of the device is driven along the lower abdomen. The only preparation for ultrasound of the pelvic organs in women is a full bladder. To do this, about an hour before the ultrasound, you need to drink about 1 liter of purified water.
Transabdominal examination is used in the following cases:
- dynamics of fetal development, starting from 12 weeks;
- prolonged uterine bleeding;
- long periods;
- irregular menstrual cycle;
- examination of girls who have not previously had sex;
- inability to conceive children.
The advantage of the procedure is that transabdominal ultrasound of the pelvic organs is a complete absence of restrictions.
Combined Gynecological Ultrasound
With a similar examination, ultrasound of the pelvic organs is done both by the transabdominal method and transvaginal, respectively. The second study is performed immediately after the first, after emptying the bladder.
Indications for the combined method:
- early pregnancy diagnosis;
- identification of a wide range of gynecological pathological processes.
A distinctive feature and at the same time an advantage of the presented method is the detection of an ectopic pregnancy in the first weeks.
Combined ultrasound diagnostics are not performed on menstruation days and virgins. These are the main contraindications, but it is worth noting that uterine bleeding does not apply to them.
Transrectal diagnosis
Transrectal ultrasound is one of the types of ultrasound diagnostics when a high-frequency sensor of the diagnostic apparatus is inserted into the patient's anus. The method is effectively used not only for the purpose of conducting a study of the organs of the reproductive system, but also for assessing the state of the intestine. At the moment, it is the most effective cancer diagnosis.
Usually, transrectal ultrasound is performed in the morning. To undergo a transrectal diagnosis, it is necessary to cleanse the intestines in advance with the help of laxatives or enemas.
When to do research
The most favorable moment for ultrasound of the pelvic organs is individual for each woman and directly depends on the indications for examination. Therefore, ultrasound is performed on certain days of the cycle.
The exceptions are situations:
- uterine bleeding;
- heavy menstruation;
- threatened abortion;
- pain in the lower abdomen.
In these cases, the patient immediately undergoes pelvic ultrasound.
Prevention
If the examination is preventive in nature, then the most informative procedure will be in the first phase of the menstrual cycle, carried out from 5 to 7 days. This is the period when the endometrium in the uterine cavity is thin and does not complicate the study. The structure of the reproductive organs is especially clearly visible, and it is much easier to diagnose the presence of gynecological diseases. If an ultrasound is performed during or after ovulation, the structure of the uterus becomes loose and this greatly complicates the study. An ultrasound doctor may not see the neoplasm in the early stages of development. In case an ultrasound of the pelvic organs shows that there is inflammation, an urgent visit to the gynecologist is necessary.
Pregnancy or IVF Planning
When planning a pregnancy or preparing for in vitro fertilization, an ultrasound is prescribed for 2-4 days of the cycle, to calculate the number of follicles in the ovaries.
Folliculometry
To determine the day of ovulation, ovarian function is monitored using ultrasound, keeping follicle maturation under observation. This process is called folliculometry. For a more accurate clinical picture, the procedure is carried out three times with a frequency of several days, during the 1st menstrual cycle. Each study is scheduled for a specific day:
- The first ultrasound is carried out on the 4th-5th day of menstruation or not later than 10 days from the start of a new cycle.
- The following procedure is prescribed for 11-15 days of the cycle.
- For the third final ultrasound of the pelvic organs, the day of the cycle is chosen in the second phase, presumably 5 days before the next menstruation.
Pregnancy diagnosis
Modern methods of ultrasound of the pelvic organs provide a real opportunity to establish pregnancy at the earliest possible dates, as well as to exclude its pathological development, for example, a frozen or ectopic pregnancy at 6-9 weeks of the study. If you do an ultrasound scan between 3 and 4 weeks after conception, you can establish the presence of a fetal egg oval in the uterine cavity, which confirms the presence of pregnancy. The heart rate of the embryo today can be heard already from 4 weeks. At the 6th week of pregnancy, ultrasound can determine the number of fetal eggs.
With the appearance of bloody discharge and suspected placental abruption, an ultrasound scan is performed for 3-5 weeks.
Gynecologists recommend not delaying an ultrasound at the first suspicion of pregnancy.
Fetal developmental stages
Ultrasound diagnosis makes it possible to track the intrauterine development of the fetus and detect deviations in time. The first planned ultrasound during pregnancy is carried out in the first trimester at 10-13 weeks to assess the development of the fetus and the thickness of the collar zone, in order to exclude Down's disease in the unborn child. The next scheduled ultrasound in the second and third trimester at weeks 20-23 and 31-32, respectively, is a prerequisite for all expectant mothers. The last ultrasound is necessary to plan the upcoming birth, to clarify the position of the fetus, to determine whether the birth will take place in a natural way or if the woman will have a planned cesarean section.
Menstrual irregularities - delay or absence of menstruation
If the gynecologist at the examination excluded the pregnancy in a woman, then it is necessary to identify the reason for the absence of menstruation using ultrasound. Often the root cause of delayed menstruation is cysts of a different nature or polycystic ovary, the nature of which is clearly visible in hardware. Ultrasound in the absence of menstruation is allowed on any day, regardless of the alleged reasons.
Inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs
After an abortion or other surgical intervention, a control ultrasound diagnostic examination is required. Certain days for its conduct have not been established - diagnosis is possible at any time. If there is a suspicion of inflammatory processes, an ultrasound scan is also carried out on any day of the cycle.
Pathology of the ovaries
Active work of the ovaries in the formation of follicles occurs in the middle of the menstrual cycle, approximately 9-16 days. On which day pelvic ultrasound is best done, the gynecologist will tell you, based on the duration of the menstrual cycle of each woman individually.
Myoma
If a pathology called uterine fibroids is suspected, the study is carried out immediately, as soon as the menstruation ends, for 4-6 days of the cycle.
To observe the dynamics of ultrasound is performed on any day, except for menstruation. Nevertheless, with submucous myoma, it is advisable to undergo the procedure for 18-25 days of the menstrual cycle, when the endometrium is hyperechoic and quite thick.
Endometriosis
Accurate results for suspected endometriosis can be obtained by ultrasound in the second phase of the menstrual cycle, presumably 16-22 days or later. At this time, the structure of the endometrium thickens, putative cysts swell and pathological areas increase.
Examination of the urinary tract and intestines
An ultrasound examination of the bladder is carried out transvaginally for all women, including pregnant women up to 12 weeks. In the second and third trimester of pregnancy, ultrasound of the urea is carried out transabdominally. You can choose any day for research, preferably not during menstruation. Therefore, for women during pregnancy there are no restrictions. A bowel examination is carried out on any day, as desired.
Regular ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs will help girls and women to timely diagnose gynecological diseases and to avoid serious health complications in the future.