Imaging Of The Reproductive System

Question 1

Why do we use imaging?

Answer 1

• narrows clinical differential/clear diagnosis
• minimises unnecessary harmful intervention
• ensure most appropriate intervention is taken place
• better for assessing deeper disease
• allows for less invasive interventions
• well suited for follow up + surveillance

Question 2

What is used to image the reproductive tract?

Answer 2

Ultrasound
MRI
Fluoroscopy
CT
Nuclear medicine

Question 3

Pros and cons of ultrasounds

Answer 3

Pros
- cheap
- rapid
- no ionising radiation
- good for soft tissues

Cons
- user dependant
- common artefacts
- sound waves can still be harmful

Question 4

Pros and cons of MRI

Answer 4

Pros:
- good imaging for soft tissues
- no ionising radiation

Cons:
- expensive
- time consuming
- high susceptibility to motion + other artefacts
- noisy + small space

Question 5

Pros and cons of fluoroscopy

Answer 5

Pros
- real time > can assess function + carry out intervention
- quick

Cons
- higher radiation than plain x ray
- trained staff needed
- dedicated fluoroscopy room needed
- use of radio-opaque contrast can damage the kidneys

Question 6

Pros and cons of CT

Answer 6

Advantages
- quick
- good resolution
- can scan most part of the body well

Disadvantages
- radiation
- not good for soft tissue
- affcted by artefact
- requires breath holding
- overuse
- contrast reactions

Question 7

Pros and cons of nuclear medicine

Answer 7

Pros
- excellent for targeted physiological assessment of pathology
- used for fine tuning

Cons
- long prep time
- long scan time
- can have long wait times
- high dose ionising radiation
- patients are radioactive during +after