Chapter 13 - Ultrasonography of the cervix

Summary

The cervix is the cylindrical portion of the uterus which enters the vagina and lies at right angles to it. It is well documented in the literature that pregnancy following assisted reproductive technologies (ART) has a higher risk of adverse outcomes. A meta-analysis comparing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) with spontaneous conceptions showed that IVF singleton pregnancies had significantly higher odds of perinatal mortality. Cervical funneling is described as dilatation of the internal os so that the cervical canal changes in shape, with bulging of the bag of membranes through the dilated cervix into the cervical canal. Vasa previa is diagnosed by transvaginal or transabdominal ultrasound, and with Doppler flow studies. Cervical pregnancy is a rare ectopic pregnancy defined as implantation of the gestational sac in the endocervix. Due to its difficult diagnosis, cervical pregnancy should be differentiated from the cervical stage of spontaneous abortion, nabothian cyst, and cervical choriocarcinoma.