The Specialized Services of the Ultrasound and Imaging Department:

Diagnostic imaging and examination of:

• Congenital and acquired lesions of the uterus and ovaries.
• Ovarian and endometrial blood supply in poor ovarian response.
• Endometrial and sub-endometrial vascularization and its correlation with the outcome of In -Vitro Fertilization
• Evaluation of the uterine cavity and congenital disorders with two-dimensional and four-dimensional (2D/4D) ultrasound.
• Fetal abnormalities.
• Lesions which can be detected by 2D/4D hystersonography

Routine ultrasound includes:

• Uterus and ovaries (in both transabdominal /transvaginal methods)
• Abdomen and pelvis
• Breast
• Thyroid
• FNA of thyroid
• Color Doppler ultrasounds to assess upper and lower limbs vascularity
• Color Doppler ultrasounds to assess abdomen/pelvic organs or any pathological lesion vascularity

Ultrasound and screening methods will be used for:

• The first, second and third trimesters of pregnancy.
• The first and second trimester screening
• Anomaly scan of the third trimesters.
• Biophysical profile
• The placenta and fetus vascularity (Color Doppler ultrasounds)

Doppler ultrasound is a noninvasive test that can be used to estimate the blood flow through your blood vessels by bouncing high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) reflected from circulating red blood cells. A regular ultrasound uses sound waves to produce images, but it can’t show blood flow.

Color Doppler: This type of doppler uses a computer to change sound waves into different colors. These colors show the speed and direction of blood flow in real time. Power Doppler, a new type of color Doppler, can provide more detail about blood flow than standard color Doppler.

Diagnostic imaging in Male Infertility work-up:

• Trans rectal ultrasound for evaluating the prostate, seminal vesicles and seminal ducts.
• Simple and color Doppler ultrasound of the scrotum and testicles to assess of the varicocele and testicular diseases
• Ultrasound for evaluating of kidney, urinary tract, bladder and prostate.
• Ultrasound to assess the inguinal and soft tissue areas.

*  Male infertility treatment specialists consider various imaging methods from conventional radiology to new methods such as MRI, to find the causes of infertility. For example, if an infertile man is suspected of Kartagener syndrome (chronic sinusitis, the presence of a heart on the right side of the chest and spermogram abnormalities), the doctor can prove or disprove his diagnosis by requesting a simple chest radiograph. If an infertile man has an increased level of prolactin in the blood test, simple radiography of the skull provides basic information about the state of the pituitary gland. There are other cases where simple radiography helps in diagnosing the cause of infertility. Nowadays, simple ultrasound and color doppler are the most commonly used methods in infertility work-up of men.

Examining the male reproductive system using simple ultrasound and color doppler is a non-invasive and available method that can report the normality or abnormality of the male reproductive system with limited time and reasonable cost. Abnormal findings in ultrasound can report the cause of problems in fertility.

For example, with simple ultrasound, the state of the testicles can be checked and reported in terms of size, volume, and tissue, and the presence or absence of masses in the testicles. Also, it can easily detect and report fluid accumulation or the presence of calcification in the contents of the scrotum. Color Doppler ultrasound can check the vascular condition of the testicles and report the presence or absence of varicocele and the grading of varicocele.

Congenital disorders related to male infertility such as the congenital absence of a kidney can be checked and confirmed or rejected with a simple ultrasound. Rectal ultrasound can also check and report the state of the prostate and seminal vesicles, and if there are obstructive causes, the diagnosis of obstructive azoospermia is raised, or if the prostate, seminal vesicles and seminal tubes are seen with a normal appearance, obstructive azoospermia is rejected. It is possible to report the possible cause of the presence of blood in the semen using this method.

Other imaging methods, such as a CT scan, find and report the location of undescended testicles or the factors inside the pelvis that cause problems in male fertility. Also, the position of the adrenal gland can be checked using this method. The use of MRI, which is a non-invasive and expensive method, can be useful in several patients. With this method, it is possible to know and report the function of the pituitary gland, the presence or absence of a tumor in the skull cavity, the presence or absence of undescended testicles, etc.

Color Doppler ultrasound in men will also be used for evaluating:

• Upper and lower limbs
• Any abdominal organ or pathological lesion
• Abdomen and pelvis