MR imaging of uterine morphology and dynamic changes during lactation.

Purpose: To investigate the influence of lactation and ovarian hormones on uterine morphology and function by comparing uteruses of lactating women with nulliparous women on MRI.

Materials And Methods: Sagittal T2WI and cine MR images were obtained with 1.5 Tesla (T) and 3T scanner from 22 lactating women and 16 nulliparous women as a control group.

Anticholinergic agents result in weaker and shorter suppression of uterine contractility compared with intestinal motion: time course observation with cine MRI.

Purpose: To evaluate the time course effects of anticholinergic agents on uterine contractility and intestinal motion with cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Materials And Methods: Using a 1.5 T MRI scanner, 60 T2-weighted half-Fourier rapid acquisitions with relaxation enhancement images of the uterus were serially acquired over 3 minutes in 25 healthy women in the periovulatory phase, at four instances, prior to and 2-5, 5-8, and 10-13 minutes after intravenous injection of 20 mg of hyoscine butylbromide.

Optimizing cine MRI for uterine peristalsis: a comparison of three different single shot fast spin echo techniques.

Purpose: To determine the optimal single shot fast spin echo (SSFSE) technique by varying interval between image acquisitions for cine MRI of uterine peristalsis.

Materials And Methods: MRI was performed in 13 premenopausal women (4 normal and 9 with benign pelvic pathology) in various phases of their menstrual cycle. Midsagittal uterus was scanned using a multiphasic SSFSE technique at 2-, 3-, and 4-s intervals over 2 min.

Effect of hyoscine butylbromide (HBB) on the uterine corpus: quantitative assessment with T2-weighted (T2W) MRI in healthy volunteers.

Purpose: To investigate effects of hyoscine butylbromide (HBB) on the appearance of three zonal anatomy of the uterine corpus on T2-weighted images (T2WI).

Materials And Methods: Sagittal T2WI of the pelvis were acquired before and after intramuscular administration of HBB with interval of 10 minutes in 22 healthy volunteers. By drawing polygonal regions of interest (ROIs), the uterine corpus was delineated into outer myometrium (OM), junctional zone (JZ), and endometrium (EM) in 20 subjects.

Nonovarian cystic lesions of the pelvis.

Cystic disease in the female pelvis is common. The majority of cystic pelvic masses originate in the ovary, and they can range from simple, functional cysts to malignant ovarian tumors. Mimics of ovarian cystic masses include peritoneal inclusion cyst, paraovarian cyst, mucocele of the appendix, obstructed fallopian tube (eg, hydrosalpinx, pyosalpinx, and hematosalpinx), uterine leiomyoma, adenomyosis, spinal meningeal cyst, unicornuate uterus, lymphocele, cystic degeneration of lymph nodes, lymphangioleiomyomatosis, hematoma, and abscess.

Functional MR imaging of the uterus.

Recent developments in MR imaging techniques have enabled the functional assessment of the uterus. Cine MR imaging is a useful tool for evaluating uterine kinematic functions derived from myometrial contractility, and for investigating the alteration of uterine contractility in a variety of conditions and gynecologic disorders. Diffusion-weighted imaging can demonstrate abnormal signal in pathologic foci based on differences in molecular diffusion, and could provide useful information in evaluating malignant conditions.

Do anticholinergic agents suppress uterine peristalsis and sporadic myometrial contractions at cine MR imaging?

Purpose: To prospectively evaluate anticholinergic drug effects on uterine peristalsis and sporadic myometrial contractions, as well as on intestinal motion, with cine magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.

Materials And Methods: This prospective study was approved by the institutional review board; informed consent was obtained from all participants. Twenty-one women (mean age, 29.

Intrauterine devices and uterine peristalsis: evaluation with MRI.

Intrauterine devices (IUDs) have been viewed as an effective form of contraception. However, the mechanism by which IUDs disturb fertility remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of IUDs on uterine contractility using cine MR.

Artifacts and pitfalls in MR imaging of the pelvis.

Artifacts are intimately intertwined with MRI. For the practicing radiologist, effective supervision, troubleshooting, and interpretation of diagnostic MR studies require a solid knowledge of the pertinent artifacts. This article seeks to familiarize the reader with commonly encountered artifacts and pitfalls in pelvic imaging, the mechanism behind their generation, and methods of minimizing their negative impact or maximizing their diagnostic yield.

The effect of oral contraceptives on uterine contractility and menstrual pain: an assessment with cine MR imaging.

Background: Low-dose oral contraceptives (OC) have been reported to control primary dysmenorrhea. Furthermore, a close relationship between dysmenorrhea and uterine contractions has been visualized with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This study aimed to use cine MR to demonstrate the effects of OC on myometrial contractility during menstruation and to associate the findings with dysmenorrhea.

Investigation of uterine peristalsis diurnal variation.

Background: In women of reproductive age, wavelike movements of the subendometrial myometrium, which is called uterine peristalsis, is considered to be related with fertility and menstrual problems. This is because the direction and frequency of peristalsis is known to be different among menstrual cycle phases. However, nothing is known as regarding diurnal variations.

Oral contraceptives and uterine peristalsis: evaluation with MRI.

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of oral contraceptives (OCs) on uterine contractility using cine MRI, and correlate the kinematic findings with the static findings.

Materials And Methods: Healthy female volunteers of reproductive age (23 taking OCs, and 15 not) were evaluated at mid-cycle. MR images were obtained with a 1.

Dysmenorrhea: evaluation with cine-mode-display MR imaging--initial experience.

Purpose: To prospectively evaluate uterine contractility during menstruation and its relation to primary dysmenorrhea by using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with cine mode display.

Materials And Methods: The university ethics committee approved the study protocol, and all subjects gave written informed consent. Nineteen healthy women were examined during menstrual cycle days 1-3 by using a 1.

A semiautomated technique for evaluation of uterine peristalsis.

Purpose: To evaluate the capability of a newly developed semiautomatic analysis technique for evaluation of uterine peristalsis in comparison with visual assessment.

Materials And Methods: Cine magnetic resonance (MR) images were obtained from 16 normal volunteers in periovulatory phase. Sixty-eight studies were evaluated by both visual evaluation and by a semiautomated computer assisted software.

Uterine contractions evaluated on cine MR imaging in patients with uterine leiomyomas.

Purpose: Submucosal leiomyoma is one of the most recognized causes of infertility and habitual abortion. The purpose of this study is to evaluate uterine peristalsis, a cycle-related inherent contractility of uterus probably responsible for sperm transport and conservation of pregnancy, in patients with uterine leiomyomas using cine magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.

Materials And Methods: Study population consisted of 26 female patients (age range: 19-51 years, mean: 41 years), in which 16 patients had submucosal leiomyomas and 10 patients had intramural or subserosal leiomyomas.

Uterine peristalsis: comparison of transvaginal ultrasound and two different sequences of cine MR imaging.

Purpose: To compare uterine peristalsis as seen on two different magnetic resonance (MR) imaging sequences and transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS), so as to better determine the best method for evaluating uterine peristalsis.

Materials And Methods: Eleven women in the periovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle underwent TVUS and cine MR imaging within a time period of three hours. Findings on cine MR images obtained with a serial 60 half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) sequence and a 300 true fast imaging with steady-state precession (FISP) sequence were compared with TVUS.

Uterine peristalsis shown on cine MR imaging using ultrafast sequence.

Purpose: To demonstrate and evaluate uterine peristalsis on cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using ultrafast imaging.

Materials And Methods: Serial MR uterine images (300) were obtained from 15 normal volunteers over four menstrual phases using true fast imaging with steady-state precession (true FISP) technique over 117 seconds and videotaped. Three radiologists independently evaluated videotapes of 59 studies.

Kinematics of the uterus: cine mode MR imaging.

Cine mode magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has allowed evaluation of kinematics of the pelvis. Visualization of dynamic changes under strain facilitates evaluation of prolapses and adhesions between organs. The uterus, an organ of smooth muscle, has an inherent contractility that characterizes it as different from other visceral organs.