The utility of cervical elastosonography in prediction of cervical insufficiency: cervical elastosonography and cervical insufficiency

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility of cervical elastosonography (ES) in prediction of cervical insufficiency (CI). METHODS: A total of 40 women, of which 20 who had previously received the diagnosis of CI and 20 healty women were included in the study. None of the women were pregnant. All subjects underwent sonographic evaluation including cervical length measurement and ES of uterine cervix. Adjacent muscular tissue was the reference point for elastosonography evaluation. Tissue strain ratio values were obtained from all the patients. RESULTS: The area around the internal cervical os of the group with CI was found to be significantly softer as compared to the control group (higher SR rate, p < 0.05). Furthermore, the outer parts of the cervix (sites A and D) were also found harder in the group that had CI (lower SR rate, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: According to our knowledge, this is preliminary study to evaluate the predictive value of cervical ES in CI and we concluded that ES can be used as reliable method to determine CI but it is necessary to be studied in different cohort groups.