Importance of Pelvic Ultrasound
Ultrasound of the pelvis uses sound waves to produce images of the structures and organs of the pelvis and lower abdomen. There are three types of pelvic ultrasound: rectal (in men), vaginal (in women), and abdominal. These tests are frequently used to evaluate the reproductive and urinary systems. Ultrasound is safe, non-invasive and does not take help of ionizing radiation.
The Ultrasound Test requires little or no preparation. You may be demanded to drink water before the test to fill your bladder. Leave the jewels at home and wear loose and comfortable clothes. You could be asked to put on a robe.
Female precocious puberty is defined as the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics before the age of eight. Variations in pubertal development are considered to be those situations in which sexual characters appear early and in isolation. They include the breast development, pubarche (pubic hair) and menarche (cyclic vaginal bleeding). In all cases, the growth curve and bone age are standard. In most cases, in true precocious puberty, bone age is advanced by more than two standard deviations to the physiological one.
Next, it is necessary to evaluate the gonadal development to discriminate precocious puberty as central (the production of sex steroids is dependent on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis) or peripheral (the output is independent); traditionally this assessment has been carried out with a stimulation test with GnRH. In girls, pelvic ultrasonography is a non-invasive, rapid and reliable diagnostic alternative to assess gonadal development, allowing measurement of parameters such as uterine body length, body/cervix, endometrial thickness, ovarian volume and the number and size of the ovarian follicles.
Pelvic ultrasound can be performed in three ways: transabdominal, transrectal and transvaginal.
Transabdominal ultrasound. A small manual device called a transducer slides from one side of the abdomen to the other. Commonly, transabdominal ultrasound with high ultrasound test cost is done in women to detect large uterine fibroids or other problems.
Transrectal ultrasound. The transducer has a shape that allows it to be placed in the rectum. A transrectal ultrasound can be performed to determine if there are problems in men and women. It is the most common test to observe the male pelvic organs, such as the prostate and the seminal vesicles. This test can also be done to detect rectal sphincter problems, such as incontinence. Sometimes, a small sample of tissue (biopsy) may be taken with small tools that are inserted through the rectum during the transrectal ultrasound.
Transvaginal ultrasound. The transducer has a shape that allows it to be placed in a woman's vagina. It is possible that both a transabdominal and a transvaginal ultrasound can be performed to observe the entire pelvic area. Transvaginal ultrasound is performed to detect problems with fertility or pregnancy. Rarely, a hysterosonogram is done to see the inside of the uterus filling it with fluid during a transvaginal ultrasound. Sometimes, a small illustrative of tissue (biopsy) may be taken with small instruments that are inserted through the vagina during a transvaginal ultrasound.
