OBGYN.net Staff

Articles by OBGYN.net Staff

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Fibroids and Hysterectomies used to go together like Rogers and Hammerstein. Not anymore. If your physician recommends removing your uterus as the most effective treatment for severe fibroids without first considering less invasive therapies, start singing another tune and get a second opinion!

First image is a longitudinal section of uterus and the second image is a transverse section at the level of the hypoechoic cervical mass.

Laparoscopy is one of the most common surgical procedures performed in the United States today. It is the modality of choice for many physicians for removal of ectopic pregnancy, bilateral tubal sterilization, treatment of endometriosis, lysis of adhesions, cholecystectomy, appendectomy, splenectomy, prostatectomy, etc. It is becoming increasingly popular for more complex procedures, including laparoscopic hysterectomy and myomectomy.

Uterine myomas irrespective of whether they are small and asymptomatic (as in the postmenopausal women) or large and symptomatic (as in premenopausal women) considerably affect uterine artery blood flow velocity. Benign uterine leiomyomas are usually easily recognized with gray-scale ultrasonography, but may sometimes be difficult to differentiate from solid ovarian tumours.

Instillation of sterile saline, air, or other contrast medium through a catheter into the uterus under real-time vaginal transducer observation for enhancement and assessment of endometrial cavity. This procedure is done on day 3 - day 7, near end of menstrual bleeding, when endometrium is thin (Day 6 is generally the "ideal day.")

Fibroids may be felt during a pelvic exam, but many times myomas that are causing symptoms can be missed if the examiner relies just on the examination. Also, other conditions such as adenomyosis or ovarian cysts may be mistaken for fibroids. For this reason, I routinely do an Ultrasound of fibroid in endometrial cavity ultrasound examination at the time of the first visit when a woman has symptoms of abnormal bleeding or cramping, or if I feel an abnormality on examination.

Some of you know that I have long been an advocate of miniaturization in Sonography, and predicted that we will all be Cyborgs within 5 years. Well, one of our own, Master Sgt. Cheryl Vance, a diagnostic sonography instructor assigned to the 382nd Training Squadron at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas (yes, SDMS Region 3 rules the future!) may well be the first Sonographic Cyborg on Earth! Or would that be a "SonoBorg"?

OST's ultrasound laboratory is developing the test methods manufacturers need to assure the safety of their diagnostic equipment. This was accomplished in two related studies concerning hydrophones.

The offering of amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS) for chromosome studies is recommended for pregnant women at high risk for Down syndrome. The offering of screening for Down syndrome by serum multiple-marker testing is recommended for all low-risk pregnant women, and as an alternative to amniocentesis and CVS for high-risk women.

A study unveiled today at the 24th annual Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) meeting brings hope to all pregnant women looking for an early, non-invasive way to assess their risk of delivering a baby with Down Syndrome. The trial reveals that measuring fetal neck fold thickness (nuchal translucency) by ultrasound, combined with a measurement of biochemical markers, is effective in the first trimester.

  Areas of Interest:On-line CME Resources for Sonographers Other CME Resources  On-line CME Resources for Sonographers AIUM Education and CME Information Page Phillips Ultrasound ACUSON Agilent Technologies Biosound Burwin Institute of Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound ESP Ultrasound General Electric- GE Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute The Jefferson Ultrasound Research and Education Institute North Carolina Ultrasound Society SonoCredits.com   Other CME Resources Echo-Web The Interactive Patient Johns Hopkins - CME Medscape CME Center National Institute of Health (NIH) University of Iowa Continuing Medical Education BrighamRAD is the home page for education and research of the Department of Radiology at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Confusion about whether to use "ultrasound" or "sonogram," "sonographer" or "ultrasound tech", has done the profession a disservice. The following is the unedited version of the manuscript submitted, including references. The version referenced above was edited.