Transvaginal sonographic appearance of thrombosed uterine arteries after uterine artery embolization: the "white snake" sign.

J Clin Ultrasound

Department of Radiology, Indiana University Medical Center, University Hospital, Room 0279, 550 North University Boulevard, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202-5253, USA.

Published: October 2003

Purpose: The aim of this prospective study was to describe the appearance of thrombosed uterine arteries on transvaginal sonography performed after uterine artery embolization (UAE) and to assess the prognostic value of the "white snake" sign with regard to symptomatic outcome at 12 months.

Methods: Patients who underwent UAE from January 1, 1999, to July 31, 2000, for the treatment of symptomatic leiomyomas were included in the study. Transvaginal sonography was performed before and at 3, 6, and 12 months after UAE. Patients graded the severity of their symptoms on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being the least and 5 the most severe, before and at 12 months after the procedure. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to determine correlations between severity of symptoms and presence of the white snake sign; a p value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.

Results: During the study period, UAE was performed in 19 patients with a mean age of 41 years (range, 32-48 years). UAE was technically successful in all patients. Eighteen patients (95%) reported symptomatic improvement at 12 months: 8 patients (42%) by 4 severity-scale points, 5(26%) by 3 points, and 5 (26%) by 2 points. The 1 patient who did not experience improvement had undergone a hysterectomy at 4 months after the UAE. At the 3-month follow-up, transvaginal sonography demonstrated a tortuous echogenic structure in the adnexa (the white snake sign) in all patients; the finding was still apparent in 10 patients at 6 months but in only 2 patients at 12 months. A direct correlation was found between persistence of the white snake sign and the degree of symptomatic improvement at 6 months (p=0.04) but not at 12 months (p=0.08).

Conclusions: After UAE, a thrombosed uterine artery appears on transvaginal sonography as an echogenic tortuous structure in the adnexa. Persistence of this white snake sign at 6 months after UAE may suggest a more favorable symptomatic outcome.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jcu.10197DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

transvaginal sonography
16
white snake
16
snake sign
16
thrombosed uterine
12
uterine artery
12
months uae
12
patients
9
months
9
appearance thrombosed
8
uterine arteries
8

Similar Publications

Leiomyomas are benign tumors of the female genital tract, usually arising from the uterus. Vaginal leiomyomas are extremely rare. We describe here a case of vaginal leiomyoma in a 28-year-old unmarried woman who presented with excessive vaginal bleeding and acute retention of urine.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: To introduce minimally invasive methods for the successful treatment of tubo-ovarian abscesses (TOAs), an antibiotic regimen was considered the first line of treatment. However, in some cases, this approach fails, and another intervention (laparotomy or minimally guidance drainage) is required.

Case Presentations: 3 women with a history of long-time infertility, all of them were candidates for in vitro fertilization referred to the obstetrics and gynecology department with similar manifestations.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To identify the sonomorphological appearance and to measure the thickness of the piriformis muscle (PM) and the proximal portion of the sacral nerve roots S1-S3 in healthy premenopausal women.

Materials And Methods: This prospective multicentric observational study included a consecutive series of women undergoing transvaginal sonography (TVS) at two tertiary gynecological referral centers. Standardized assessment of the pelvic organs was performed followed by an attempt to visualize the right and left PM and sacral nerve roots S1-S3 at their origin in proximity to the sacral neuroforamen.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Ovulation induction (OI) in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) remains challenging, and several biomarkers have been evaluated for their ability to predict ovulation. The predictive ability of candidate biomarkers, particularly with letrozole-based therapy in infertile PCOS women, remains inconclusive as it is yet to be evaluated in a prospective study.

Aim: To assess the role of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinising hormone (LH)/FSH ratio, testosterone and free androgen index (FAI) as predictors of ovarian response to letrozole-based OI therapy during OI cycles in infertile women with PCOS from North India.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Endometriosis is a gynecologic disorder which causes dysmenorrhea and infertility. Early diagnosis of endometriosis can help prevent the necessity for invasive diagnostic procedures. Medical imaging has been widely utilized to diagnose various diseases without the need for invasive procedures.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!