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A hydrosalpinx is a distally blocked fallopian tube filled with fluid. A hydrosalpinx is known to cause sterility and torsion. The most common causes of hydrosalpinx are undiagnosed or untreated sexually transmitted diseases, like Chlamydia. The blocked tube may become substantially distended, giving the tube a characteristic sausage-like shape. The diagnosis of hydrosalpinx can be made by ultrasound, CT, and MRI.
We studied 30 cases of hydrosalpinx between 2000 and 2007 in our facilities. Some patients with a hydrosalpinx had pelvic pain, while others were asymptomatic. Patients who had no symptoms were diagnosed while evaluating ovarian cyst. The typical example of a hydrosalpinx was easy to be diagnosed by the ultrasound; however, there were some cases in which it was difficult to discriminate a hydrosalpinx from an ovarian cyst. In such cases, 3D construction with hydrography that emphasizes water in MRI ( T2 emphasis image ) was extremely useful for discriminating a hydrosalpinx from an ovarian cyst. MR-salpingography provides the most definitive diagnosis of hydrosalpinx. MR-salpingography does not cost extra, is non-invasive, and does not need contrast medium. Moreover, the overall image was captured easily by observation from many fields. Torsion was diagnosed from the images in cases who were admitted before surgery.
Diagnostic imaging is useful for the diagnosis of a hydrosalpinx. Specifically 3D construction with hydrography in MRI (MR-salpingography) is useful to confirm the diagnosis.
