JUM etoc signup
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Kamaya, A.
Right arrow Articles by Jeffrey, R. B.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Kamaya, A.
Right arrow Articles by Jeffrey, R. B.
© 2009 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
J Ultrasound Med 28:1031-1041 • 0278-4297

Retained Products of Conception

Spectrum of Color Doppler Findings

Aya Kamaya, MD, Ivan Petrovitch, MD, Bertha Chen, MD, Carrie E. Frederick, MD, MPH and R. Brooke Jeffrey, MD

Departments of Radiology (A.K., I.P., R.B.J.) and Obstetrics and Gynecology (B.C., C.E.F.), Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California USA.

Address correspondence to Aya Kamaya, MD, Department of Radiology, Stanford University Medical Center, 300 Pasteur Dr, H1307, Stanford, CA 94305 USA.

Objective. The purpose of this study was to characterize color Doppler imaging features of retained products of conception (RPOC) with gray scale correlation. Methods. Clinically suspected cases of RPOC between January 2005 and February 2008 were reviewed. Patient data and relevant color Doppler and gray scale features were recorded. Results. A total of 269 patients referred for sonographic evaluation for RPOC were identified. Thirty-five patients had confirmed pathologic diagnoses, 28 of whom had RPOC. In those with RPOC, 5 (18%) were avascular (type 0); 6 (21%) had minimal vascularity (type 1); 12 (43%) had moderate vascularity (type 2); and 5 (18%) had marked vascularity (type 3). Peak systolic velocities ranged from 10 to 108 cm/s (average, 36.1 cm/s). Resistive indices in arterial waveforms ranged from 0.33 to 0.7 (average, 0.5). Five (45%) of the patients with type 0 vascularity had RPOC; 6 (86%) of those with type 1 had RPOC; and 17 (100%) of those with types 2 and 3 had RPOC. An echogenic mass had a moderate positive predictive value (80%) but low sensitivity (29%) for RPOC. Conclusions. Color Doppler evaluation of the endometrium is helpful in determining the presence of RPOC. Endometrial vascularity is highly correlated with RPOC, whereas the lack of vascularity can be seen in both intrauterine clots and avascular RPOC.

Key Words: color Doppler sonography • postpartum • retained products of conception • uterine arteriovenous malformation • uterus

Abbreviations: AVM, arteriovenous malformation • EMV, enhanced myometrial vascularity • hCG, human chorionic gonadotropin • PPV, positive predictive value • PSV, peak systolic velocity • RI, resistive index • RPOC, retained products of conception

HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2009 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.