Characteristics of uterine peristalsis in spontaneous and induced cycles

Objective: To characterize the dynamics of the intrauterine fluid-wall interface (IUFWI) from in vivo transvaginal ultrasound images by new techniques of image processing of sagittal cross-sections of the uterus, in healthy women with normal cycles and patients treated with clomiphen citrate (CC). Design: Clinical study. Setting: An ultrasound unit in a large university-affiliated municipal hospital. Patient(s): Twenty-five patients with normal spontaneous cycles (group A) and nine patients treated by CC (group B). Intervention(s): Transvaginal ultrasound examinations. Main Outcome Measure(s): Transvaginal ultrasound images were processed to carry out a computational analysis of the resultant IUFWI. Result(s): The amplitude and the width of the IUFWI were higher in group B, but the ratio of these measurements was similar in both groups. The frequency of wall motility of group A was lower and its pattern was more symmetrical than that of group B. Conclusion(s): The differences in the dynamic characteristics of spontaneous and CC-induced cycles may constitute an additional parameter that should be considered in embryo transport.