The objective of this study was to determine whether estimates of ultrasonic attenuation could detect changes in the cervix associated with medically induced cervical remodeling. Thirty-six full-term pregnant women underwent two transvaginal ultrasonic examinations separated in time by 12 h to determine cervical attenuation, cervical length and changes thereof. Ultrasonic attenuation and cervical length data were acquired from a zone (Zonare Medical Systems, Mountain View, CA, USA) ultrasound system using a 5–9 MHz endovaginal probe. Cervical attenuation and cervical length significantly decreased in the 12 h between the pre-cervical ripening time point and 12 h later. The mean cervical attenuation was 1.1 ± 0.4 dB/cm-MHz before cervical ripening agents were used and 0.8 ± 0.4 dB/cm-MHz 12 h later (p < 0.0001). The mean cervical length also decreased from 3.1 ± 0.9 cm before the cervical ripening was administered to 2.0 ± 1.1 cm 12 h later (p < 0.0001). Cervical attenuation and cervical length detected changes in cervical remodeling 12 h after cervical ripening administration.
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/timothy_bigelow/25/
This is a manuscript of the article published as McFarlin, Barbara L., Jennifer Balash, Viksit Kumar, Timothy A. Bigelow, Xavier Pombar, Jacques S. Abramowicz, and William D. O'Brien Jr. "Development of an Ultrasonic Method to Detect Cervical Remodeling in Vivo in Full-Term Pregnant Women." Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology 41, no. 9 (2015): 2533-2539. DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2015.04.022. Posted with permission.