Office hysteroscopic-guided selective tubal chromopertubation: acceptability, feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of this new diagnostic non-invasive technique in infertile women

Novel Use of Hysteroscopy in the Assessment of Tubal Patency in Difficult Cannulation

The objective was to assess the method of chromopertubation (CPT) in cases of difficult cannulation to minimize the false-negative cases of tubal block. We had performed laparoscopy and hysteroscopy in 66 females as infertility workup. In all these females, cannulation through the cervical canal was difficult and tubal patency test showed tubal block with Leech–Wilkinson cannula. Then, through the inlet of hysteroscope, methylene blue dye was injected and the patency of tubes was assessed again. In 59 out of the 66 females, we observed that when cannulation and dilation of cervix was difficult, then CPT with hysteroscope showed positive tubal patency test. Introduction of hysteroscope with visualization bypasses cervical factor and reduces false-negative results of tubal patency that is an added advantage of hysteroscope that has not been reported earlier.

Assessment of Tubal Patency with Selective Chromopertubation at Office Hysteroscopy versus Modified Minilaparoscopy in Infertile Women

OBJECTIVES

Tubal factor is the leading cause of female infertility. Diagnostic hysterolaparoscopy with chromopertubation plays a pivotal role in its evaluation. Office hysteroscopy (OH) has gained popularity as the outpatient procedure for diagnostic purposes. OH being a less invasive approach, the current study was undertaken to compare the accuracy of assessment of tubal patency with chromopertubation at OH with modified minilaparoscopy in infertile patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The present study was a pilot study conducted from March 2017 to August 2018. Eighty patients were recruited. OH was done without anesthesia. Diluted methylene blue dye was injected. The eddy current of blue dye, "Visualizable flow" at ostium, and disappearance of blue dye from the uterine cavity through ostium was documented as evidence of patent tubal ostium. In case of tubal occlusion, uterine cavity became blue due to backflow of dye. After OH, minilaparoscopy with chromopertubation was performed under general anesthesia. Both tubes were assessed separately for tubal patency.

RESULTS

All patients underwent OH followed by minilaparoscopy in the same sitting. OH was 87.5% sensitive with positive predictive value of 95.2%. Compared to minilaparoscopy, OH is 85.6% accurate in predicting tubal patency. The area under receiver operating curve was 0.96 (SE is 0.15 with 95% confidence interval of 0.93-0.99, P < 0.001). It implies that, OH should correctly identify all laparoscopic cases with probability of 0.96.

CONCLUSION

OH chromopertubation can be used as an alternative to laparoscopy for assessing tubal patency with added advantages of lack of requirement of anesthesia, minimal cost, and better patient acceptance. Moreover, the procedure is less time-consuming and less invasive with high sensitivity and moderate specificity.

Transvaginal Sonography Post-Office Hysteroscopy as a Screening Tool for Tubal Patency: A Reliable and Feasible Technique in an Outpatient Setting

OBJECTIVE

To determine feasibility and accuracy of post-hysteroscopic transvaginal ultrasonography (TVUS) measurement of pelvic fluid accumulation as a screening method for tubal patency (TP).

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 85 patients who underwent uterine cavity assessment by office hysteroscopy at our university-affiliated fertility centre from November 2019 to October 2020. During the study period, two-dimensional (2D) TVUS was performed pre- and post-hysteroscopy to evaluate TP. Patient records were reviewed for demographics, diagnosis, and prior/subsequent TP testing. Predictive values for TP were calculated.

RESULTS

Pelvic fluid accumulation post-hysteroscopy was found in 65.9% of patients (56). Accumulation of fluid was seen with the use of as little as 10-50 mL of saline. Using more fluid did not increase the likelihood of demonstrating TP (P = 0.17). A trend towards more false-negative results for TP was observed when less fluid was used (7.7% with 10-50 mL vs. 3.8% with 60-190 mL and 1.3% with 200-760 mL; P = 0.10). The positive predictive value (PPV) of TVUS post-hysteroscopy in comparison to known patency/occlusion was 100%; negative predictive value (NPV) was 33%; sensitivity was 82.8%; and specificity was 100%. Similar values were seen in a second analysis that included patients with highly suspected patent or occluded tubes (n = 60); presumed predictive values were: PPV 100%, NPV 42%, sensitivity 78.8%, and specificity 100%. The use of more fluid did not increase pain (P = 0.75). This finding remains after accounting for confounders (e.g., pre-medication, endometrial biopsy).

CONCLUSION

TVUS pre- and post-hysteroscopy is feasible in an outpatient setting, and can serve as a reliable screening tool for TP. When hysteroscopy is performed and TP is not known, TVUS can be added for screening, potentially omitting the need for more invasive examinations. With limited non-urgent ambulatory services, it is of upmost importance to maximize information from a single procedure.

Hysteroscopy for Assessing Fallopian Tubal Obstruction: A Systematic Review and Diagnostic Test Accuracy Meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To assess the diagnostic accuracy of hysteroscopy compared with that of laparoscopic chromopertubation for the detection of fallopian tubal obstruction.

DATA SOURCES

An electronic search from inception to March 31, 2020, was performed in Medline, Scopus, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials.

METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION

This diagnostic accuracy meta-analysis was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and Synthesizing Evidence from Diagnostic Accuracy Tests recommendations. A combination of the following Medical Subject Headings terms and keywords was included in the search strategy: "hysteroscopy[MeSH]," "tubal obstruction," "tubal patency," "tubal dysfunction," and "tubal blockage." Quality assessment of the included studies was conducted using the Quality Assessment Tool for Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom). Publication bias was evaluated by means of the Deek funnel plot asymmetry test. The following outcomes were analyzed: diagnostic odds ratio, area under hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic and area under receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios.

TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS

Six studies comparing hysteroscopy with laparoscopic chromopertubation were included in the meta-analysis. After pooling all the studies, the diagnostic odds ratio was 43. The evaluated area under receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.93, correlating with high diagnostic accuracy for the index test. Sensitivity and specificity were 88% and 85%, respectively. In addition, the positive and negative likelihood ratios were 5.88 and 0.16, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Hysteroscopic techniques are highly accurate and sensitive for detecting fallopian tubal obstruction. Interventional assessment enhances diagnostic accuracy compared with observational assessment, as does the office setting compared with the operating room. Additional studies, along with a refinement of the techniques, could facilitate the widespread use of hysteroscopic techniques for the detection of fallopian tube occlusion.

Fallopian tubal obstruction is associated with increased pain experienced during office hysteroscopy: a retrospective study

This study aimed at evaluating the pain experienced during office hysteroscopy, with selective tubal cannulation and chromopertubation, by women with and without tubal obstruction in order to determine if such condition would be associated with increased pain during the examination. Women with a history of infertility underwent in-office hysteroscopy with selective chromopertubation using a continuous flow office hysteroscope with a 5 Fr operating channel fitted with a 4 Fr catheter for the injection of methylene blue dye. Experienced pain was recorded on a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) during diagnostic hysteroscopy after access to the uterine cavity. Of 90 women, 58 (66.4%) were found with at least one patent fallopian tube and inserted in the group "any", meanwhile 32 (33.6%) were categorized into group "none" as both tubes were judged obstructed. There was no significant difference between groups in BMI and primary infertility rate, but the difference was significant concerning mean age (32.6 vs. 35.8; p < 0.001). The mean VAS score was 3.34 (± 1.07) in the group "any" and 4.25 (± 1.11) in "none". Comparing the VAS score of the two groups, the difference was significant (p < 0.001). Tubal occlusion may have a potential role in the pain experienced by women undergoing in-office hysteroscopy. Women with bilateral tubal occlusion experienced a higher level of pain compared with patients with at least one patent fallopian tube. Operators may use milder intrauterine pressure of fluid distension medium when these patients are undergoing in-office hysteroscopy to reduce discomfort.