Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 1, Issue 6 223-228, Copyright © 1982 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Ultrasound evaluation of sutures following cervical cerclage for incompetent cervix uteri
S. G. Parulekar and R. Kiwi
This prospective study was designed to determine whether it is possible to
visualize cerclage suture material by ultrasound and to evaluate the
clinical usefulness of ultrasound examination after cervical cerclage
during pregnancy. Ultrasound examinations demonstrated suture material in
all patients in this study. The 5-mm-wide Mersiline tape suture, used in
the Shirodkar procedure, was easier to visualize by ultrasound than the no.
2 nylon suture used in the McDonald procedure. Ultrasound examination can
be helpful in evaluating the location and effectiveness of the sutures and
in detecting protrusion of the membranes beyond the sutures before it is
clinically apparent. The sonographic demonstration of the relationship of
the protruding membranes to the level of the sutures can be valuable in
patient management.
