Facilitation of Cervical Dilatation by Intracervical Application of Sulprostone Gel prior to Hysteroscopy

Summary

In a prospective, randomized study, 10 patients with primary sterility received an intracervical application of 0.1 mg Sulprostone-Tylose gel for cervical priming 12 hours prior to panoramic CO₂-hysteroscopy and pelviscopy with chromopertubation. Ten patients who served as controls were not treated with the local prostaglandin. The force required to overcome the cervical canal was measured with a special tonometer for Hegar 3 before application of the gel in the group treated with Sulprostone and was 3-8 mm in both groups of patients immediately preoperatively.

Cervical priming led to a significant reduction in the force required to dilate the cervix. After priming with Sulprostone, the cervical canal was freely passable for an average of 6.7 mm. In none of these patients was a force of 7 Newton exceeded for Hegar 8, whereas in the control group a mean force of 8.2 Newton was required to dilate the cervix for Hegar 6. Haemorrhage and epithelial lesions of the cervix caused by the dilatation can largely be avoided, and the risk of uterine damage reduced by local priming of the cervix. The intracervical application of prostaglandin gel is an easy, efficient and gentle method of dilatation for hysteroscopy, particularly in patients with a firmly closed and rigid cervix.

Key words:

Panoramic CO₂-hysteroscopy - Cervical dilatation - Reduction of cervical resistance by locally applied Sulprostone gel