from PART II - INFERTILITY EVALUATION AND TREATMENT
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 August 2010
CURRENT TRENDS
There is little consensus regarding the composition of the ideal evaluation of the couple experiencing infertility. Validation of the most cost-effective, productive, and minimally invasive means of completing the infertility evaluation is an evolving art requiring a critical eye, willingness to learn new techniques, and a desire to best serve the interests of our patients. A diagnosis of unexplained infertility is usually made only after it has been demonstrated that the female partner ovulates regularly, has patent Fallopian tubes, shows no evidence of peritubal adhesions, fibroids or endometriosis, and has a partner with normal sperm production and function. Only when all standard clinical investigations yield normal results should the diagnosis of unexplained infertility be raised (1). This means that for an optimal evaluation of an infertile woman, optimal assessment of the morphology of the pelvic cavity, uterus, and the tubes demands the utilization of laparoscopy. The principal options for the evaluation of the morphology of the uterus and tubes are hysterosalpingography (HSG) and laparoscopy with hydrotubation. The two techniques are complementary, but there is considerable pressure to simplify the investigation and the cost/benefit calculation tends to favor hysterosalpingography (2). Whereas, one should keep in mind that, in infertile couples, laparoscopy reveals abnormal findings in twenty one to sixty eight percent of cases with a normal HSG (3).
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