All about pelvic ultrasound

General information about pelvic ultrasound

Pelvic ultrasound is a non-invasive method. The technique is designed to help doctors evaluate the pelvic organs, determine an accurate diagnosis and prescribe effective therapy. Ultrasound is an opportunity in medical tasks to have photographs of tissues and structural units that are localized in the lower pelvis and in the abdominal cavity. Diagnosticians call three types of ultrasound diagnostics of the pelvis:

• transabdominal (abdominal) - through the abdominal wall; ideal for pregnant women and virgins;
• transvaginal (vaginal) - performed exclusively on females through a vaginal sensor;
• transrectal (rectal) - performed in most males.

Dopplerography is considered part of ultrasound. Doppler ultrasonography diagnostics gives a chance to look at blood vessels and study blood flow, to establish formation of blood clots or vascular narrowing. Doppler ultrasonography shows:

• congenital vascular malformations;
• neoplasms.

When is an ultrasound of the pelvic organs prescribed?

A girl is prescribed an ultrasound examination to evaluate her reproductive and genitourinary systems. Ultrasound is often prescribed to pregnant women to monitor the course of trimesters, to watch the growth and development of the embryo in the womb of the expectant mother. This diagnostic method is used during the period of taking oral contraceptives and using an intrauterine device, in order to avoid complications from their effects. In urology, ultrasound examinations establish the causes of enuresis, problems with urination, and identify abnormalities of the urethra and prostate.

Ultrasound of the pelvic organs has many reasons for being performed with the following symptoms:

• pathological bleeding;
• subfebrile temperature persists for a long time;
• pain syndrome of unknown etiology;
• severe pain in the lower abdomen;
• irregularity or absence of the menstrual cycle;
• vaginal discharge of various natures.

Using ultrasound, it is possible to detect bladder cancer, establish the presence of kidney stones, and find the causes of urinary tract diseases. Ultrasound diagnostics helps to establish the underlying causes of delayed puberty and early puberty in girls. With its help, doctors can:

• check neoplasms localized in the pelvic area;
• examine the anatomical structure of hermaphrodite genitals.

Ultrasound is an opportunity to control puncture biopsy, during which tissue samples are taken as biological material for laboratory diagnostics.

Used to differentiate cancer, ovarian cysts, fibroids and other palpable neoplasms. Diagnostic examination is indicated after medical abortion. Transvaginal will be needed to diagnose the general position of the endometrium (inner uterine lining) - for example, to assess its thickness. The method allows to analyze the muscular walls-myometrium of the main female reproductive object.

To examine the uterus in detail, the patient is sent for ultrasound hysterography. This method is an opportunity to diagnose cancer, polyposis, scarring, fibroids in time and to identify deviations in anatomical development. Ultrasound hysterosalpingography has found practical application in diagnosing women with infertility.

Ultrasound of the pelvis: on what day is it recommended for women to undergo the examination?

Women are concerned about the problem: “When can ultrasound diagnostics of the pelvis be performed?”. Experts always say that this should be the first phase of the menstrual cycle. The best time is the fifth or sixth day, after menstruation, when there is still an initial stage of proliferation, the uterine and ovarian features are most clearly visible. It is possible to diagnose hyperplasia and polyps of the endometrium, and accurately indicate the size of myomatous nodes. When ovulation has passed, the mucous membranes become more voluminous and loose, the formations are no longer visible so specifically. This period is suitable for determining only functional cysts. They do not require specific therapy and go away with menstruation.

Is it possible to undergo Ultrasound during menstruation? Diagnosticians allow it. Indeed, on the second to fourth day in emergency cases it is possible to conduct an ultrasound, despite the fact that at this stage there is the most abundant bleeding from the vagina and the effectiveness may be lower. This is justified when preparing for IVF, and reproductive specialists want to find out the number of follicles in the ovaries. If it is carried out during monthly discharge, then the preparation is complicated by only one point - the lady should take a dense lining fabric with her to the session.

Any preparation is excluded for women before an ultrasound of the pelvic organs if there are significant delays in discharge. This will help to determine pregnancy or perimenopausal condition at an early stage.

Ultrasound of the pelvis: preparation for the examination in women

This diagnostic is a very visual and fast diagnostic method that can be safely used repeatedly, even during pregnancy, without spending much effort on preparation. In terms of time, it takes no more than 10-15 minutes, depending on the purpose of the study and has no contraindications for conducting. To conduct the examination, you must have a referral from the attending physician, a small towel to remove the remains of the conductor gel from the body and a small sheet or diaper, which the patient spreads on the couch and lies down on top.

Preparation for abdominal, vaginal and transrectal ultrasound consists of the fact that three to four days before the session it is forbidden to eat spicy, salty and smoked foods, that is, adhere to a diet. Smoking should be stopped 2 days before the examination date.

A standard pelvic ultrasound is performed with a full bladder.

• Preparation is required for the transabdominal technique, which is performed through the abdomen. Two hours before the procedure, one liter of regular drinking water should be drunk and the same amount of time should not be spent going to the toilet to urinate. This will maximize visualization.
• No preparation is required for a transvaginal examination through the vagina. In this case, the bladder should be empty so as not to interfere with the procedure.
• Pregnant patients are examined with a partially filled bladder. For proper preparation, a woman should drink no more than half a liter of still water 1 hour before the diagnosis.
• Preparation for examination of the genitourinary system requires a well-filled bladder. Following this, one and a half hours before the diagnosis, you need to drink about 1 liter of water, and do not go to the toilet.

The examination should be done in loose-fitting clothes, having previously removed all jewelry, glasses and watches. Sometimes doctors ask you to put on a special robe over your clothes.

Preparatory measures for pelvic ultrasound in men

For the most reliable results, you need to properly prepare for the diagnosis. For a detailed study of the structure of the prostate gland, transrectal ultrasound is practiced, during which special sensors are inserted into the rectum to examine the condition of the seminal vesicles and prostate. Therefore, a man should arrive for diagnostics with an empty bowel. The patient adheres to a special diet in advance to remove all gases from the intestines and eliminate constipation. At this stage, specialists recommend excluding from the diet all products that increase gas formation, including fresh vegetables and fruits, whole milk products, rye bread products, confectionery and yeast baked goods. In some cases, it is recommended to take enzyme-containing drugs, dill water or activated carbon. In preparation, on the eve of an ultrasound using a rectal sensor, you should drink a laxative or do an enema to cleanse the feces.

The process of performing an ultrasound of the pelvis

The diagnostician performs the manipulations either on a special couch or in a gynecological chair (depending on the location of the equipment and the method of conducting the study). After all the manipulations, the diagnostician deciphers the results and prepares a general conclusion.

If a person is healthy, then for preventive purposes, such sessions are recommended to be taken once or twice a year until the age of forty. After forty, one manipulation per year is enough.