Volume ultrasound in uterine and tubal evaluation

Abstract

After the development of the new technologies and rendering modes, it became possible to acquire valuable diagnostic images of the female genital organs. There appear to be few differences in the diagnostic accuracy of standard 2D vs 3D images in detecting pelvic pathology, but 3D scanning can improve efficiency by reducing scanning time and therefore improving patient throughput. Furthermore, 3D ultrasound is able to rapidly acquire and store ultrasonographic data that can later be retrospectively analyzed with little loss of information. The most important advantage is the visualization of the coronal plane. It is therefore likely that the application of 3D ultrasound scanning will increase in the future for diagnostic purposes, particularly when the purchase cost of ultrasound equipment falls. The purpose of this review is to highlight the benefits of volume ultrasound in evaluation of uterine and tubal pathology.