Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 10, Issue 9 487-492, Copyright © 1991 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Uterine inner myometrial echogenic foci. Relationship to prior dilatation and curettage and endocervical biopsy
D. D. Burks, B. F. Stainken, T. K. Burkhard and Z. N. Balsara
Department of Radiology, Naval Hospital, San Diego, California 92134-5000.
The frequent presence of small echogenic foci within the inner myometrium
in women who have had prior uterine instrumentation is reported. Bright
foci were observed in 35 of 80 patients who had had prior dilatation and
curettage or endocervical biopsy and in only 2 of 174 patients who gave no
history of either procedure (P less than 0.005). These foci tend to be
small (3 to 6 mm), linear, usually nonshadowing, single or multiple, and
located immediately adjacent to the endometrium anywhere along the length
of the endometrial cavity; they can be seen many years after the procedure
was performed. The histopathologic features of these foci are unconfirmed,
but we suspect they represent calcification or fibrosis at sites of
mechanical injury to myometrium. The presence of these foci serves as a
marker of prior instrumentation and probably has no clinical significance.
However, sonographers who are aware of their possible occurrence, can avoid
mistaking them for leiomyoma calcifications or for air in the endometrium
or myometrium in patients with suspected endometritis.
