Background: To analyze the application values of quantitative parametrics measured by three-dimensional transvaginal sonography (3D-TVS) in the diagnosis of uterine cavity distortions.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on consecutive 113 patients with septate uteruses, as diagnosed consistently by both 3D-TVS and hysteroscopic surgery, between Jan 2016 and Jan 2018. The intrauterine quantitative parametrics were compared between an infertility group and a miscarriage group. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and evaluation indicators of diagnostic tests were plotted to analyze the relationships between parametrics and uterine cavity distortions.
Results: There were no significant differences in septum width, septum length, uterine angle, remaining uterine cavity length, and distortion rate between the infertility and miscarriage groups (P>0.05). The distortion rate was positively correlated with septum length, but showed a negative correlation with uterine angle and remaining uterine cavity length (all P<0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of septum length for predicting a distortion rate higher than 50% was 0.969; with a cutoff value of 2.15 cm, and a diagnostic accuracy of 97.14%, sensitivity was 81.80% and specificity was 98.90%, respectively. Patients with lower septum length coupled with a higher remaining uterine cavity length had a lower risk of uterine cavity distortion.
Conclusions: Septum length was shown to have the most important effect on uterine cavity distortion of all the uterine parametrics measured by 3D-TVS. Patients with septum lengths higher than 2.15 cm indicated a distortion rate of more than 50%, and tend to experience adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Keywords: Three-dimensional transvaginal sonography (3D-TVS); distortion rate; septate uterus; septum length.
2020 Annals of Translational Medicine. All rights reserved.