Congenital Uterine Malformation by Experts (CUME): diagnostic criteria for T-shaped uterus

Reproductive Implications and Management of Congenital Uterine Anomalies: Scientific Impact Paper No. 62

Congenital uterine anomalies (CUAs) are malformations of the uterus (womb) that develop during fetal life. When a female baby is in her mother's uterus, her uterus develops as two separate halves from two tubular structures called Müllerian ducts, which fuse together before she is born. Anomalies that occur during the baby's development can be variable, from complete absence of the uterus through to more subtle anomalies, which are classified into specific categories. While conventional ultrasound is good at detecting CUAs, 3D ultrasound is used to confirm a diagnosis. If a complex uterine anomaly is suspected, additional investigations may be used, including MRI scanning, laparoscopy (where a camera is inserted into the cavity of the abdomen) and/or hysteroscopy (where a camera is placed in the uterine cavity). As there can be a link between CUAs and anomalies of the kidney and bladder, scans of these organs are also usually requested. Although CUAs are present at birth, adult women typically do not have any symptoms, although some may experience painful periods. Most cases of CUA do not cause difficulties in becoming pregnant, and the outcome of pregnancy, in most cases, is good. However, these uterine anomalies are often discovered during investigations for infertility or miscarriage. Moreover, depending upon the type and severity of CUA, there may be increased risk of first and second trimester miscarriages, preterm birth, fetal growth restriction (smaller and lighter babies for the stage of pregnancy), pre-eclampsia (development of high blood pressure and protein in urine after the 20th week of pregnancy) and fetal malpresentation (baby not facing head-first down the birth canal) at birth. Surgical treatment may be considered for those who have had recurrent miscarriages and have a septate uterus, i.e. the uterine cavity is divided by a partition. In this case, surgery may reduce the chances of miscarriage. However, women should be informed that there is inconclusive and conflicting evidence regarding the improved likelihood of live births in this context. Further evidence from large randomised controlled trials are required to provide conclusive evidence-based recommendations for surgical treatment for septate uterus. Surgical treatment for other types of CUAs is not usually recommended as the risks outweigh potential benefits, and evidence for any benefits is lacking. Women with CUAs may be at an increased risk of preterm birth even after surgical treatment for a septate uterus. These people, if suspected to be at an increased risk of preterm birth based on the severity of CUA, should be followed up using an appropriate protocol for preterm birth as outlined in UK Preterm Birth Clinical Network Guidance.

Birth Outcomes in Pregnancies with Uterine Malformations: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Background and objectives: The prevalence of uterine malformations, affecting up to 7% of the general population, is associated with high rates of pregnancy complications, such as infertility, miscarriage, preterm delivery, malpresentation, ectopic pregnancy, and other complications, with high rates of both maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Surgical procedures have been proposed to remediate these anomalies, with different outcomes. In this context, our study aimed to emphasize the complications encountered in our department and the pregnancy results. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed on all the women who delivered in one university-affiliated medical center between 2010 and 2017 with congenital uterine malformations. A total of 62 women were included: 26 with uterine malformations and 36 as controls. Statistical analyses were performed with the level of statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Only 53.8% of the pregnancies in women with uterine malformations ended in a live birth. The cesarean section rate was 64.3% in the study group. The only successful surgical procedure performed to restore fertility was cerclage. A lower Apgar score and a higher rate of neonate admission into the intensive care unit were observed in the study group, at 11.5% compared to 0 in the control group. The most important complication encountered with statistical significance was preterm delivery. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that uterine congenital malformations are an independent risk factor for pregnancy complications.

T-shaped dysmorphic uterus: discrepancies between current 3D-ultrasound diagnostic criteria

PURPOSE

Review and compare current classifications for diagnosing T-shaped uterus using three-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound (3D-TVS) measurements, identifying measurements that best correlate with the diagnosis.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study analyzed diagnostic measurements in patients with T-shaped uterus who underwent 3D-TVS at the University of Rome 'Tor Vergata' from 2016 to 2022. Of 7588 patients, four sonographers re-evaluated 3D-TVS images of 72 initially diagnosed cases. Uterine morphology was assessed in the coronal plane by measuring fundal cavity width (R0), corpus-isthmic cavity width (Wi), lateral indentation angle (AI), lateral bulging (LB), T-angle (AT), fundal/isthmic cavity width ratio (R0/Wi), and the length of intracavitary line parallel to interostial line (R10). All cases were confirmed by hysteroscopy, excluding ambiguous findings.

RESULTS

Of 72 initially evaluated patients, 50 met the inclusion criteria for final analysis. These patients had consistent 3D-TVS diagnoses from four sonographers and hysteroscopic confirmation from two experts. The combination of three CUME criteria (AT ≤ 40°, AI ≤ 130°, LB ≥ 7 mm) identified only 8% of T-shaped uteri. Notably, 30 patients (60%) had an R10 measurement of ≤ 10 mm. In addition, 31 uteri (62%) met all three criteria: LB ≥ 5 mm, AI ≤ 140°, and R0/Wi ≥ 5. Overall, 48 uteri (96%) satisfied at least two criteria. The study concluded that LB, R10, and R0/Wi are independent predictors of T-shaped uterus.

CONCLUSIONS

Significant discrepancies exist among current classifications for diagnosing T-shaped uterus. This study identified LB, R10, and R0/Wi as key parameters for accurate diagnosis. These measurements provide a precise and objective approach, aiding in the evaluation of the anomaly's impact on reproductive outcomes and the benefits of hysteroscopic treatment.

Hysteroscopic metroplasty: Ultrasound parameters to optimize fertility benefits?

INTRODUCTION

Metroplasty is a procedure used by some teams to correct certain uterine anomalies to improve fertility outcomes. Our goal was to evaluate hysteroscopic metroplasty in the management of nulliparous and infertile patients with a uterine anomalies.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We conducted a single-center, retrospective, observational study of women who underwent hysteroscopic metroplasty for infertility between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2019. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of a live birth at 18 months post-surgery. The secondary endpoint was to identify predictive factors for the success of the procedure, in particular ultrasound criteria, and live-birth rate during total follow up.

RESULTS

We included 43 nulliparous patients with an average of 5.2±-2.4 years of primary infertility, including 84.2 % patients who had at least one IVF cycle prior to the surgery. The mean age was 37±5 years. The post-surgery live-birth rate was 27.9 % at 18 months and 53.5 % during the total postoperative follow-up (mean follow-up 4.5 ± 1 years). Pregnancies were obtained spontaneously after surgery for 8/28 (28.6 %) patients who were undergoing assisted reproduction technology before surgery. No intra- or postoperative complications were recorded. We did not identify any predictive ultrasound factors, pre- or postoperatively, for a live birth at 18 months post-surgery.

DISCUSSION

Hysteroscopic metroplasty appears to improve the chances of a live birth in a population of nulliparous and infertile patients with at least one uterine pathology. Spontaneous pregnancy can occur after hysteroscopic metroplasty. The Congenital-Ultrasound-Malformation-by-Expert ultrasound criteria do not appear to be predictive of post-surgery outcomes.

The importance of the 'uterine factor' in recurrent pregnancy loss: a retrospective cohort study on women screened through 3D transvaginal ultrasound

STUDY QUESTION

What is the prevalence of congenital and acquired anomalies of the uterus in women with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) of unknown etiology examined using 3D transvaginal ultrasound (US)?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Depending on the adopted diagnostic criteria, the prevalence of partial septate uterus varies between 7% and 14% and a T-shaped uterus is 3% or 4%, while adenomyosis is 23%, at least one of type 0, type 1 or type 2 myoma is 4%, and at least one endometrial polyp is 4%.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

ESHRE and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists guidelines on RPL recommend the adoption of the 3D transvaginal US to evaluate the 'uterine factor'. Nevertheless, there are no published studies reporting the prevalence of both congenital and acquired uterine anomalies as assessed by 3D transvaginal US and diagnosed according to the criteria proposed by the most authoritative panels of experts in a cohort of women with RPL.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

This was a retrospective cohort study including 442 women with at least two previous first-trimester spontaneous pregnancy losses (i.e. non-viable intrauterine pregnancies), who referred to the obstetrics and gynecology unit of two university hospitals between July 2020 and July 2023.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

Records of eligible women were reviewed. Women could be included in the study if: they were between 25 and 42 years old; they had no relevant comorbidities; they were not affected by infertility, and they had never undergone ART; they and their partner tested negative to a comprehensive RPL diagnostic work-up; and they had never undergone metroplasty, myomectomy, minimally invasive treatments for uterine fibroids or adenomyomectomy. Expert sonographers independently re-analyzed the stored 2- and 3D transvaginal US images of all included patients. Congenital uterine anomalies (CUAs) were reported according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) 2021, the ESHRE/European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESGE) and the Congenital Uterine Malformation by Experts (CUME) criteria. Acquired uterine anomalies were reported according to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and the Morphological Uterus Sonographic Assessment (MUSA) criteria.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

The partial septate uterus was diagnosed in 60 (14%; 95% CI: 11-17%), 29 (7%; 95% CI: 5-9%), and 47 (11%; 95% CI: 8-14%) subjects, according to the ESHRE/ESGE, the ASRM 2021, and the CUME criteria, respectively. The T-shaped uterus was diagnosed in 19 women (4%; 95% CI: 3-7%) according to the ESHRE/ESGE criteria and in 13 women (3%; 95% CI: 2-5%) according to the CUME criteria. The borderline T-shaped uterus (diagnosed when two out of three CUME criteria for T-shaped uterus were met) was observed in 16 women (4%; 95% CI: 2-6%). At least one of FIGO type 0, type 1, or type 2 myoma was detected in 4% of included subjects (95% CI: 3-6%). Adenomyosis was detected in 100 women (23%; 95% CI: 19-27%) and was significantly more prevalent in women with primary RPL and in those with three or more pregnancy losses. At least one endometrial polyp was detected in 4% of enrolled women (95% CI: 3-7%).

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

The absence of a control group prevented us from investigating the presence of an association between both congenital and acquired uterine anomalies and RPL. Second, the presence as well as the absence of both congenital and acquired uterine anomalies detected by 3D US was not confirmed by hysteroscopy. Finally, the results of the present study inevitably suffer from the intrinsic limitations of the adopted classification systems.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

The prevalence of CUAs in women with RPL varies depending on the classification system used. For reasons of clarity, the US reports should always state the name of the uterine anomaly as well as the adopted classification and diagnostic criteria. Adenomyosis seems to be associated with more severe forms of RPL. The prevalence rates estimated by our study as well as the replicability of the adopted diagnostic criteria provide a basis for the design and sample size calculation of prospective studies.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

No specific funding was used. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

N/A.

Dysmorphic Uterus: More Questions than Answers

A T-shaped uterus is a rare uterine malformation that is classically associated with diethylstilbesterol (DES) exposure. Surprisingly, the prevalence of T- and Y-shaped uterus has increased in recent years despite the absence of a diagnostic consensus and a correlation with the reproductive outcomes has been observed. A systematic electronic database search for all English-language studies published on reproductive outcomes associated with dysmorphic uteri over the past 10 years using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus was performed. This uterine malformation is associated with impaired reproductive outcomes, including primary infertility, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, and preterm birth. Hysteroscopic metroplasty is a simple surgical procedure that could potentially improve outcomes in subfertile women, but the data are not robust. Studies reported significant improvements in implantation and pregnancy rates after corrective metroplasty in women undergoing in vitro fertilization. However, multicenter, prospective, randomized, and controlled trials are needed to validate these findings and to help define clear diagnostic criteria, surgical indications, and appropriate follow-up of reproductive outcomes after the procedure.

Proposal for Diagnostic Criteria of Y-Shaped Dysmorphic Uterus Based on 3-Dimensional Transvaginal Ultrasound Measurements

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To define objective and readily applied diagnostic criteria for Y-shaped uteri using 3-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound (3D-TVUS) volume recordings.

DESIGN

A retrospective case-control diagnostic measurements study.

SETTING

A tertiary university hospital's reproductive health and research center.

PATIENTS

Two hundred thirteen patients who presented with infertility between January 2020 and December 2022.

INTERVENTIONS

Two blinded physicians re-evaluated the 3D-TVUS images of all patients for the presence of a uterine abnormality. The images of patients with a Y-shaped uterus were re-evaluated, and descriptive measurements were done.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

The most common uterine abnormality in this cohort was the Y-shaped uterus with a prevalence of 12.2%, followed by the arcuate, T-shaped, and septate uteri, respectively. Reviewers identified 26 and 28 Y-shaped uteri, respectively, and came to a consensus on 25 images. Diagnostic criteria for the Y-shaped uterus based on 3D-TVUS findings have been specified as: lateral indentation depths between 4 and 7 mm, fundal indentation depth between 5 and 9 mm, lateral indentation angles between 121° and 149°, fundal indentation angle between 121° and 145°, and Y-angles 25° to 46°.

CONCLUSION

Some subtypes of dysmorphic uteri, such as the Y-shaped uterus, whose clinical significance is unknown and may be variants of the normal, may actually be more common than thought. Determining objective diagnostic criteria with 3D-TVUS will allow standard research on these anomalies and their clinical significance.

Hysteroscopic metroplasty for the treatment of the dysmorphic uterus: A SWOT analysis

Introduction

Dysmorphic uterus or T-shaped uterus is an increasingly frequent diagnosis among the infertile population that has been associated to worse reproductive results. Hysteroscopic metroplasty is a safe and simple procedure that can improve the reproductive outcomes in this group of patients, although the benefits of this procedure remains controversial due to the lack of adequate scientific evidence.

Objective

To analyze the hysteroscopic metroplasty using the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) methodology.

Data sources

An electronic search from inception each database up to December 2021 including the following databases was conducted: PubMed-MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar.

Methods of study selection

Studies reporting outcomes of patients undergoing hysteroscopic metroplasty were included.

Tabulation

Not applicable.

Integration and Results

Clinical evidence from the included studies suggests an improvement in reproductive results after performing hysteroscopic metroplasty especially in women with recurrent pregnancy loss and previous infertility, but all of them have relevant methodological limitations. For this reason, benefits, risks and alternatives of this intervention should be considered with caution.

Conclusions

Evidence from published data shows a probable association between dysmorphic uterus and poor reproductive outcomes. Hysteroscopic metroplasty in patients with dysmorphic uterus could improve pregnancy outcomes, but there is need of properly designed prospective controlled studies to determine the benefits of this technique.

Preliminary application of three-dimensional printing in congenital uterine anomalies based on three-dimensional transvaginal ultrasonographic data

Background

The three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has remarkable potential as an auxiliary tool for representing anatomical structures, facilitating diagnosis and therapy, and enhancing training and teaching in the medical field. As the most available diagnostic tool and it is routinely used as the first approach in diagnosis of the uterine anomalies, 3D transvaginal ultrasonography (3D-TVS) has been proposed as non-invasive “gold standard” approach for these malformations due to high diagnostic accuracy. Despite holding promise of manufacturing 3D printed models based on 3D-TVS data, relevant reports about 3D-TVS derived gynecological 3D printing haven’t been reported to the best of our knowledge. We found an opportunity to explore the feasibility of building 3D printed models for the abnormal uterus based on the data acquired by 3D-TVS.

Methods

The women suspected with congenital uterine anomalies (CUAs) were enrolled in the study. The diagnose of CUAs were made by 3D-TVS scanning and further confirmed under the hysteroscopy examination. One volunteer with normal uterus was enrolled as control. All subjects underwent 3D-TVS scanning for 3D printing data collection. Acquired images were stored and extracted as DICOM files, then processed by professional software to portray and model the boundary of the uterine inner and outer walls separately. After the computer 3D models were constructed, the data were saved and output as STL files for further surface restoration and smoothing. The colors of endometrium and uterine body were specified, respectively, in the print preview mode. Then the uncured photosensitive resin was cleaned and polished to obtain a smooth and transparent solid model after printed models were cooled down.

Results

3D printing models of normal uterus, incomplete septate uterus, complete septate uterus, uterus didelphys and unicornuate uterus were produced on ultrasonographic data of 3D-TVS.

Conclusions

Our research and practice made the first try in modeling CUAs successfully based on ultrasonographic data entirely, verifying that it’s a feasible way to build 3D printed models of high-quality through 3D-TVS scanning.

Reproductive outcome of hysteroscopic metroplasty for women with T-shaped uterus: a retrospective study

Background

T-shaped uterus is a Müllerian malformation with unapparent clinical manifestations. Intrauterine adhesion and tuberculosis may lead to T-shaped uterus, too. Hysteroscopic metroplasty is a treatment option for T-shaped uterus, while the postoperative reproductive outcomes have not been thoroughly investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the reproductive outcome in Chinese women with T-shaped uterus who had hysteroscopic metroplasty with cold scissors.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study was conducted in the reproductive surgery unit of a university-affiliated hospital. One hundred and eleven patients with T-shaped uterus who underwent hysteroscopic metroplasty from Jan. 2017 to Sept. 2019 were followed-up by telephone in Apr. 2021. All patients received hysteroscopic metroplasty using microcissors, followed by estrogen-progesterone sequential treatment, with or without intrauterine device (IUD) implantation. According to whether they had had history of intrauterine operation, patients were divided into congenital group and acquired group. The main outcome measure was postoperative live birth rate. χ² test and t test were used for comparison between groups. Cochran-Mantel–Haenszel test were used for stratified analysis. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

One hundred and eleven patients were included in total, with 46 in congenital group and 65 in acquired group. After hysteroscopic metroplasty, in the congenital group, the pregnancy rate increased from 28.3% to 87.0% (P < 0.001) and the live birth rate increased from 23.1% to 79.5% (P = 0.001); in the acquired group, the pregnancy rate slightly dropped from 98.5% to 72.3% (P < 0.001) while the live birth rate increased from 20.8% to 74.5% (P < 0.001). No statistically significant difference was observed in postoperative reproductive outcome indicators between the two subgroups except mode of conception.

Conclusions

For both groups, hysteroscopic metroplasty may improve reproductive outcomes for patients with T-shaped uterus.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12978-022-01381-2.

As a Müllerian malformation, T-shaped uterus is named for the shape of the uterine cavity. According to cause of the disease and patients’ intrauterine operation history, T-shaped uterus can be divided into congenital and acquired types.

This study was conducted in the reproductive surgery unit in a university-affiliated hospital. Data were collected from medical records, and patients were followed up via telephone.

One hundred and eleven patients were included in this study, with 46 in congenital group and 65 in acquired group. Whether infertility/subfertility patients had had intrauterine operation history or not, their rates of giving live birth increased after the hysteroscopic metroplasty.

In conclusion, hysteroscopic metroplasty is an effective intervention for T-shaped uterus patients with fertility intention.

Diagnosis of Congenital Uterine Abnormalities: Practical Considerations

As most congenital uterine abnormalities are asymptomatic, the majority of them are detected incidentally. While most women with uterine anomalies have a normal reproductive outcome, some may experience adverse reproductive outcomes. Accurate diagnosis and correct classification help in the appropriate counselling of women about their potential reproductive prognosis and risks and for planning any intervention. Evaluation of the internal and external contours of the uterus is the key in making a diagnosis and correctly classifying a uterine anomaly. Considering this, the gold standard test has been the combined laparoscopy and hysteroscopy historically, albeit invasive. However, 3D ultrasound has now become the diagnostic modality of choice for uterine anomalies due to its high degree of diagnostic accuracy, less invasive nature and it being comparatively less expensive. While 2D ultrasound and HSG are adequate for screening for uterine anomalies, MRI and combined laparoscopy and hysteroscopy are reserved for diagnosing complex Mullerian anomalies. Imaging for renal anomalies is recommended if a uterine anomaly is diagnosed.

The impact of T-shaped uterine cavity anomaly on IVF outcomes: More questions than answers

RESEARCH QUESTION

The aim of our study was the impact of T-shaped uterine anomaly on in vitro fertilization (per 1 IVF cycle per one embryo transfer) results and pregnancy outcomes.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study included 388 somatically healthy patients at the age of 20-40 years old who underwent 3-dimensional ultrasound of uterine cavity before embryo transfer. The uterine cavities were classified based on morphometric criteria according to the CUME study. The comparison was performed between patients with normal uterine cavity (n = 266), patients with T-shaped anomaly of uterine cavity (n = 27), intermediate forms of T-shaped anomaly (n = 73), and patients with other uterine anomalies (n = 22).

RESULTS

The rates of biochemical pregnancy in Normal, T-shaped, Intermediate and Other groups were 58.6%, 51.9% 52.1% and 45.4%, respectively, but there weren't detected statistically significant differences (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

T-shaped uterus did not affect the percentage of occurring pregnancy, but was associated with increased rate of preterm deliveries, miscarriages and ectopic pregnancy. No differences in occurrence of pregnancy rates in cases of intermediate types, but an increased number of preterm deliveries and miscarriages in cases with increased myometrial thickness in lateral angle area.

The Rule of 10: a simple 3D ultrasonographic method for the diagnosis of T-shaped uterus

PURPOSE

To investigate and propose a new simple tridimensional (3D) ultrasonographic method to diagnose a T-shaped uterus (Class U1a).

METHODS

A multicenter non-experimental case-control diagnostic accuracy study was conducted between January 2018 and December 2019, including 50 women (cases) diagnosed with T-shaped uterus (U1a class) and 50 women with a "normal uterus" (controls). All the enrolled women underwent 3D ultrasound, drawing four lines and recording the length of three of them as follow: draw and measure the interostial line (R0); draw from the midpoint of R0 a perpendicular line length 20 mm; draw and measure in the uterine cavity a line parallel to R0 at 10 mm below R0 (R10) and a second line parallel to R0 at 20 mm below R0 (R20). The diagnostic performance of all sonographic parameters statistically significantly different between T-shaped and normal uteri was estimated using the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

RESULTS

R10 and R20 were statistically significantly shorter in the T-shaped than the normal uterus. R10 reported the highest diagnostic accuracy with an area under the ROC curve of 0.973 (95% CI 0.940-1.000). R10 length maximizing the Youden's J statistic was 10.5 mm. Assuming R10 length equal to or shorter than 10 mm as the cut off value for defining a woman as having a T-shaped uterus, the new ultrasonographic method following the proposed protocol (R0, R10, and R20) reported sensitivity for T-shaped uterus of 91.1% (95% CI 0.78-0.97%) and a specificity of 100% (95% CI 0.89-100%). The positive likelihood ratio was higher than 30, and the negative likelihood ratio was 0.09 (95% CI 0.04-0.26).

CONCLUSIONS

Measuring the length of the intracavitary line parallel to the interostial line at 10 mm from it and using a length ≤ of 10 mm as cut off value (the "Rule of 10") appears a simple and accurate 3D ultrasonographic method for the diagnosis of a T-shaped uterus.

Prevalence of T-shaped uterus among fertile women based on ESHRE/ESGE and Congenital Uterine Malformation by Experts (CUME) criteria

RESEARCH QUESTION

What is the prevalence of T-shaped uteri among fertile women based on ESHRE/ESGE and Congenital Uterine Malformation by Experts (CUME) criteria?

DESIGN

A prospective cohort study of 258 women of reproductive age with a history of at least one natural pregnancy resulting in live birth. Participants were recruited from the family planning clinic between January 2018 and March 2020. The ESHRE/ESGE classification of congenital anomalies of the female genital tract was used for describing abnormal findings. CUME criteria were also used for diagnosing T-shaped uterus. Uterine cavity volume was measured.

RESULTS

Mean age of participants was 35.4 ± 6.2 years. Participants were diagnosed with the following: congenital uterine abnormality (n = 9 [3.6%]); partial septate uterus (n = 5 [2.0%]) and hemiuterus (n = 2 [0.8%]). Two women (0.8%) were diagnosed with T-shaped uterus and borderline T-shaped uterus based on the ESHRE/ESGE criteria and CUME. Mean lateral indentation angle, lateral indentation depth and T-angle were 156.2° ± 9.53°, 2.85 ± 0.93 mm and 73.3° ± 9.85° in patients with normal uterine cavity. In patients with T-shaped and borderline T-shaped uteri, respective figures were 115° versus 121°, 10 mm versus 7.6 mm and 27.5° versus 70°. Median volume of the uterine cavity in patients with normal uterine cavity and T-shaped uterus was 3.71 ml (minimum 2.0 to maximum 9.03 ml, interquartile range 1.93) and 3.2 ml (2.9 and 3.62 ml), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of T-shaped uteri in fertile women is low, which corresponds to previous reports of women with poor reproductive history.

Diode Laser Hysteroscopic Metroplasty for Dysmorphic Uterus: a Pilot Study

This paper aims to study the efficacy and safety of diode laser hysteroscopic metroplasty for dysmorphic uterus and the impact on reproductive outcomes. This is a retrospective, single-center pilot study with prospective follow-up. The study was performed at a university-affiliated, tertiary hospital. From February 2018 to February 2020, all nulliparous women with a 3D ultrasound diagnosis of T-shaped or Y-shaped dysmorphic uterus and diagnosis of infertility, recurrent implantation failure, or recurrent pregnancy losses were referred for hysteroscopic metroplasty. Diode laser hysteroscopic metroplasty was performed under general anesthesia in an ambulatory setting. Main outcome measures included operative time, complications, hysteroscopic appearance of the cavity in a follow-up hysteroscopy, and reproductive outcomes in terms of pregnancy and live birth. A total of 25 infertile women with mean duration of infertility of 56.6 ± 36.1 months underwent hysteroscopic metroplasty. No complications were reported, and subsequent 3D ultrasound and follow-up hysteroscopic appearance were satisfactory in all cases. Maximum follow-up was 32 months (mean ± standard deviation 11.5 ± 9.2 months). Fifteen nulliparous women returned for fertility treatments in our institute, among whom nine conceived (60% pregnancy rate). The rate of deliveries and ongoing pregnancies (pregnancies beyond 24 weeks of gestation) was 78% (7/9), with six successful liveborn deliveries at 36-38 weeks and one ongoing pregnancy. One had spontaneous abortion at week 19 and one had a spontaneous abortion at week 7. Hysteroscopic metroplasty in an ambulatory setting, using diode laser, is a safe and effective procedure, improving reproductive outcomes in cases of T-shaped or Y-shaped uterus.

New approach for T-shaped uterus: Metroplasty with resection of lateral fibromuscular tissue using a 15 Fr miniresectoscope. A step-by-step technique

T-shaped uterus is a congenital uterine malformation (CUM), only recently defined by the ESGE ESHRE classification as Class U1a. The uterus is characterised by a narrow uterine cavity due to thickened lateral walls with a correlation 2/3 uterine corpus and 1/3 cervix. Although the significance of this dysmorphic malformation on reproductive performance has been questioned, recent studies reported significant improvement of life birth rates after surgical correction in patients with failed in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) or recurrent miscarriage. The classical surgical technique to treat a T-shaped uterus is by performing a sidewall incision with the micro scissor or bipolar needle, resulting in a triangular cavity.

In this video article, we describe a new surgical technique with a step-by-step method combining three- dimensional ultrasound (3D-US) and hysteroscopic metroplasty in an office setting, using a 15 Fr office resectoscope (Karl Storz, Tuttlingen, Germany), to treat a T-shaped uterus by resecting the lateral fibromuscular tissue of the uterine walls. No complications occurred and the postoperative hysteroscopy showed a triangular and symmetrical uterine cavity without any adhesions.

Definition, prevalence, clinical relevance and treatment of T-shaped uterus: systematic review

OBJECTIVES

To summarize in a systematic review the current evidence regarding definitions, diagnosis, prevalence, etiology, clinical relevance and impact of surgical treatment for T-shaped uterus not related to diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposure, and to highlight areas on which future research should focus.

METHODS

A search of PubMed, Scopus and EMBASE was performed on 9 April 2020 using the search terms 't-shaped OR t-shape OR infantile OR (lateral indentation) OR (diethylstilbestrol OR DES) AND (uterus OR uterine OR uteri) AND (anomaly OR anomalies OR malformation OR malformations)'. Additionally, the reference lists of the included studies were searched manually for other relevant publications. All studies presenting data on T-shaped uterus not associated with DES exposure and including at least 10 women were considered eligible. Studies regarding DES-related T-shaped uterus were excluded because DES has not been used since 1971. There were no restrictions on language, date of publication or status of publication.

RESULTS

Of 2504 records identified by the electronic search, 20 studies were included in the systematic review. The majority of studies were of poor quality. In 11 of 16 studies reporting on the diagnosis of T-shaped uterus, the diagnostic method used was three-dimensional ultrasound. There is no consensus on the definition of T-shaped uterus, but the most cited criteria (4/16 studies) were of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology and the European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESHRE/ESGE; 2013). The prevalence of T-shaped uterus varied from 0.2% to 10% in the four included studies reporting such data. With respect to etiology (except for DES), T-shaped uterus was considered a primary condition in three studies and secondary to adhesions in five and adenomyosis in one. T-shaped uterus was related to worse reproductive outcome based on subfertility (nine studies), miscarriage (seven studies), preterm delivery (two studies), ectopic pregnancy (one study) and repeat implantation failure (seven studies). Of the 12 studies that reported on the effects of surgical treatment of T-shaped uterus by hysteroscopic metroplasty, some mentioned an improvement in pregnancy rate (rates ranging from 49.6% to 88%; eight studies), live-birth rate (rates ranging from 35.1% to 76%; seven studies) and term-delivery rate (four studies) and a reduction in miscarriage (rates ranging from 7% to 49.6%; five studies) and ectopic pregnancy (one study). However, the evidence is of very low quality with serious/critical risk of bias toward overestimating the intervention effect. Some authors reported no complications related to the procedure, while others mentioned persistence of the dysmorphism (rates ranging from 1.4% to 11%; three studies), bleeding (1.3%; one study), infection (2.6%; one study) and adhesions (11.1% and 16.8%; two studies).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence, etiology and clinical relevance, with respect to reproductive outcome, of T-shaped uterus remain unclear and there is no consensus on the definition and diagnostic method for this condition. Expectant management should be considered the most appropriate choice for everyday practice until randomized controlled trials show a benefit of intervention. © 2020 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Tubal Flushing Treatment for Unexplained Infertility

Tubal patency testing was initially introduced as a diagnostic test. However, it has been observed that some tubal patency tests also have a therapeutic effect. This therapeutic effect can be influenced by the contrast medium used during tubal flushing. In this review, we discuss current evidence associated with different methods for tubal flushing and their potential impact on reproductive outcomes in women with unexplained infertility. Furthermore, we discuss their diagnostic accuracy, safety, and cost-effectiveness.