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While growing up in Brownfield, Terry Dubose, an expert in sonography, thought he wanted to be a banker. He enrolled in Hardin-Simmons University after graduating from Brownfield High School in 1962 and earned a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1966.

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.

One of our own Ultrasound@OBGYN.net participants has published an article in the British Medical Journal proposing the use of electronic publication to include the original data with research articles. The article, by David J R Hutchon, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist. Memorial Hospital, Darlington, County Durham DL3 6HX, proposes several advantages to having the original data available to the readers.

This overview describes and illustrates the clinical applications of three-dimensional transvaginal sonography in reproductive medicine. Its main applications include assessment of uterine anomalies, intrauterine pathology, tubal patency, polycystic ovaries, ovarian follicular monitoring and endometrial receptivity. It is also useful for detailed evaluation of failed and/or ectopic pregnancy. Three-dimensional color Doppler sonography provides enhanced depiction of uterine, endometrial, and ovarian vascularity.

The problems relating to searching the Internet for medical information are well known; too many sites are identified and there is no easy way to filter out the good from the bad. Consequently, if search engines are not the best place to start your exploration of the Web for information relating to gynaecology and reproductive medicine, where is? In my opinion the best place to start is at the OBGYN.net site .

Diagnostic Medical Sonography, often referred to as "ultrasound", is one of the newest and fastest growing diagnostic imaging modalities. Most people today know Sonography from intrauterine fetal images or sonograms. It is a very safe and useful medical tool that was first attempted after W.W.II using surplus, nondestructive testing, sonar equipment.

As important as having mature lungs at birth are to the baby, in the last 25 years ultrasound professionals have only proposed two methods of judging their maturity, neither of which have been effective. Neither echo texture of the lungs in comparison to the liver, or placental maturity have correlated as closely with lung maturity as was once hoped.

Meigs´s syndrome is defined as the presence of ascites and hydrothorax in association with a benign ovarian tumor. It is a rare clinical entity, which is also considered to be an uncommon complication of benign leiomyomas of the female genital tract. The case of a 33 year-old female patient who presented rapid weight loss and a quickly increasing abdominal circumference is described. Clinical and ultrasonographic studies revealed a mobile, semi-solid right adnexal tumor in the lower abdominal quadrants of 15 x 14-cm and ascites as well as hydrothorax of the left lung, confirmed by chest radiography.

The mean uterine weight was 146 g (60-569 g). The mean operating time was 94 minutes (60-225 min.). Actual morcellation time was available in 19 cases by reviewing videotape with an average morcellation time of 11.8 minutes (4-23 min.). Average blood loss was 125 cc (20-600 cc) with one case of late postoperative bleeding requiring operative intervention. The average cost for the procedure was $7,998 ($6,989 - $11,581). Thirty-six patients were discharged within 23 hours from the time of admission and all patients were discharged within 48 hours of the time of admission.

The diagnosis of uterine and/or tubal pathology as causes of female infertility represents a fundamental step in the evaluation of the infertile couple. Apart from the invasive diagnostic procedures, several others diagnostic techniques useful to the clinical evaluation of the uterine cavity and tubal anatomy are: transvaginal sonography (TVS), hysterosalpingography (HSG), hysteroscopy and hydrosonography (HDS) and laparoscopy.

The role of reproductive surgery has been questioned in the current environment of improving techniques and success rates with in vitro fertilization (IVF). Another emerging obstacle is the declining number of these types of surgeries being performed in response to the increasing numbers of patients opting for IVF.

Since the first laparoscopy was performed in humans by Jacobaeus in 1910, great strides have been made by surgeons in utilizing this valuable tool.1 Unfortunately, the expense of performing even diagnostic laparoscopy has become prohibitive. With the high cost of medical care, measures must be taken to decrease this monumental problem. For years, laparoscopy has been performed under local anesthesia with minimal reported complications.