ABSTRACT
This study was carried out on 36 infertile women with unknown tubal function. Sonographic hydrotubation [SHT] was done for every case before hysterosalpingography [[HSG], followed by laparoscopy to assess tubal function. Bilateral tubal patency was notied in 20 cass by SHT, 21 by HSG and 24 by laparoscopy. This shows that the results of SHT correlated with those of laparaoscopy, p< 0.05. Considering the incidence of unilateral tubal patency, no significant difference was found between SHT and laparoscopy. As regards the incidence of bilateral tubal obstruction, SHT detected 11, however, laparoscopy diagnosed only 6 at p< 0.05. SHT agreed in 25 cases of tubal patency out of 30 patients proved patent by laparoscopy [specificity 87.7%] at, p< 0.05. No patients with obstructed tubes were noted to have accumulated fluid in the cul-de-sac [sensitivity 100%]. Of the 36 patients who underwent preoperative HSG, 3 patients were noted falsely to be obstructed by SHT [specificity 90.9%], at p> 0.05. SHT detected only 5 cases of localized collection of fluid out of the 10 cases which proved to have pelvic adhesions by laparoscopy. In the course of SHT no serious side effects were noted. In conclusion, transvaginal sonography, seemed to be potentially safe, comvenient, less expensive, accurate and simple technique with potential advantage over HSG and it can be used as a screening procedure in demonstrating tubal patency