Imaging in pregnancy Flashcards
What are the indications for imaging in pregnancy?
pelvic pain assessment of pelvic masses abnormal menstrual bleeding post menopausal bleeding infertility interventional radiology - Fallopian tube recanalisation, uterine artery embolisation
What are the pros of USS?
cheap
no ionising radiation
provides good definition of pelvic organs
What are the two main USS techniques?
Transabdominal - 1st line
Transvaginal
What are the pros of transabdominal USS?
safe and readily avaliable
no ionising radiation
What conditions must a transabdominal USS be done in?
patient must have a full bladder
good practice to do an abdo exam first
What are the cons of transabdominal USS?
difficult to obtain a good image in obese patients or where there is gaseous distention of the bowel
hard to produce exactly the same image from one attendance to the next
When would you do a transvaginal USS?
if you havent seen everything clearly on the transabdominal one
What type of USS has a higher frequency - transabdominal or transvaginal?
transvaginal
What are the advantages of transvaginal USS?
excellent depiction of pelvic organs
bladder must be empty
What are the disadvantages of transvaginal USS?
more invasive procedure
not suitable for individuals who have never been sexual active
can sometimes not demonstrate the whole picture
What type of scanning is done 2nd line to USS?
CT
What are the pros of CT scanning?
quick
can show the entire chest, abdoment and pelvis in the one scan
can do multiple scan slice
What are the cons of CT scanning?
high radiation dose - esp delivered to the ovaries
use sparingly in children and those of reproductive age
does not provide optimal depiction of different pelvic organs (MRI better)
How does MRI scanning work?
uses radiofrequency - NOT ionising radiation
What are the advantages of MRI?
provides excellent depiction of pelvic organs
NO IONISING RADIATION
can give an idea of the composition of soft tissue mass
safer in pregnant patients - except first trimester
