Transvaginal sonography in gynecologic imaging

Individual organs and fine structures are better imaged by transvaginal technique because high frequency transducers are closer to the pelvic organs, thereby increasing the resolution of the image. The superior transvaginal image quality enhances diagnostic confidence. While transvaginal sonography may be used exclusively in follow-up studies of follicular maturation and for evaluation of urgent or emergent problems, such as exclusion of ectopic pregnancy when the bladder is not filled, transabdominal ultrasound is still required for overall anatomic orientation. For increased sensitivity and specificity in gynecologic ultrasound, we have included the transvaginal approach in our protocol for routine pelvic sonography.