CHAPTER 44 female infertility Flashcards
What is infertility?
the inability to conceive within 12 months with regular coitus
It is estimated that infertility affects how many couples in America?
one in seven couples
regarding to infertility _____% of the cases are attributable to femal, _____% to the male, and the remaining ____% are combined or unexplained factors
40% female
40% male
20% unexplained
Infertility has been divided into what 6 causes?
- Cervical
- endometrial/uterome
- tubal
- ovulatory
- peritoneal
- male factor causes
What are the 3 male factor causes of infertility?
- inadequate number and decreased motility of sperm
- obstruction of vas deferens
- scrotal varioceles
What is the role of the cervix?
to provide a nonhostile environment to harbor sperm
The cervix secretes ______ and ________ that holds sperm?
mucous and crypts
What test is done to evaluate the cervical mucus and when is it done?
postcoital test and is performed within 24 hours of intercourse
When doing a postcoital test how is the cervical mucous evaluated and what are they looking for?
by aspirating the mucous from the cervix and under microscope looking for the number and motility of the sperm
ultrasound is used to evaluate the cervical length during pregnancy to assess for what?
cervical incompetence
In a non-gravid uterus what is difficult to assess?
the length and any opening of the cervix is hard to assess
What can be used to evaluate the internal os diameter?
hysterosalpingography
A measurement of less than 1 mm may indicate?
cervical stenosis
What are the sonographer two main objectives when evaluating a uterus?
- to assess the structural anatomy
- to assess the endometrium
(assessing for structural anatomy refers to evaluating the shape and echogenicity)
congenital uterine anomalies occur in _____% of women
.5-1%
Congenital uterine anomalies are the result of ?
defects in mullerian duct development, fusion or resorption
Congenital uterine anomalies are associated with ?
renal anomalies
The congenital anomalies most easily assessed with ultrasound are evaluations for?
bicornuate uterus and uterus didelphys
didelphys and bicornuate utereus are not usually associated with?
fertility problems or complications
what is the uterine anomaly that is associated with high incidence of fertility?
septate uterus
In the case of the septate uterus what causes the problem for implantation?
septum
in septate uterus if the pregnancy implants along the septum the pregnancy is at risk of what?
failure because of inadequate blood supply from the septum
On ultrasound how does the septate uterus appear?
as two endometrial cavities without a fundal notch
on ultrasound how does the bicornuate and didelphys uterus appear?
two endometrial cavities, a wide uterine body and a fundal notch
What is the difference sonographically between the septate uterus and the bicornuate/ didelphys uterus?
septate has no fundal notch
What is the t shaped uterus caused by ?
exposures to diethylstilbestrol in utero (DES)
What was DES used for in 1950’s to 1970’s?
to treat threatened abortion
patients with exposure of DES is at risk for?
cervical incompetence
What other imaging methods are better suited to evaluate the wide range of uterine anomalies?
MRI HSG
3d ultrasound provides the ability to view ?
the coronal plane that 2D is unable to obtain
What diagnosis does the coronal plan allow?
diagnosis of septate uterus vs. bicornuate uterus
what is measured throughout the menstrual cycle to look for appropriate changes/
endometrium
After ovulation, ________ is secreted by the corpus luteum?
progesterone
when does the secretion of progesterone begin?
the secretaory phase of the endometrial cycle
during the secretory phase, the endometrium becomes thickened and very echogenic as a result of ?
stromal edema, and there is loss of the triple line sign
The endometrial lining may be thinner than expected in ?
there is not enough progesterone produced in the luteal phase
The lack of progesterone production is know as?
“Luteal Phase Deficiency”