Chinese Medical Sciences Journal ›› 2022, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (2): 151-158.doi: 10.24920/003870

• Original Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Assessment of Changes in the Cesarean Scar and Uterus Between One and Two Years after Cesarean Section Using 3D T2w SPACE MRI

Yafei Qi1, Yonglan He1, Ning Ding1, Liangkun Ma2, Tianyi Qian3, Yuan Li2, Huadan Xue1, *(), Zhengyu Jin1   

  1. 1Department of Radiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
    2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
    3MR Collaborations NE Asia, Siemens Healthcare, Beijing 100102, China
  • Received:2020-12-20 Accepted:2022-02-28 Published:2022-06-30 Online:2022-04-18
  • Contact: Huadan Xue E-mail:bjdanna95@163.com

Objective To evaluate changes in morphology of the cesarean scar and uterus between one and two years after cesarean section using high-resolution, three dimensional T2-weighted sampling perfection with application optimized contrast using different flip angle evolutions Magnetic Resonance Imaging (3D T2w SPACE MRI).
Methods This prospective study was performed to investigate morphological changes in the cesarean scars and uterus from one to two years after cesarean section using high-resolution, 3D T2w SPACE MRI. The healthy volunteers having no childbearing history were recruited as the controls. All data were measured by two experienced radiologists. All data with normal distribution between the one-year and two-year groups were compared using a paired-sample t test or independent t test.
Results Finally, 46 women took a pelvic MR examination one year after cesarean section, and a subset of 15 completed the same examination again after two years of cesarean section. Both the uterine length and the anterior wall thickness after two years of cesarean section (5.75 ± 0.46 and 1.45 ± 0.35 cm) were significantly greater than those measured at one year (5.33 ± 0.59 and 1.25 ± 0.27 cm) (t = -2.363 and -2.175, P= 0.033 and 0.048). No significant difference was shown in myometrial thickness two years after cesarean section (1.45 ±0.35 cm) with respect to the control group (1.58 ± 0.21 cm, P= 0.170). Nine women who underwent MRI twice were considered to have scar diverticula one year after cesarean section, and still had diverticula two years after cesarean section. The thickness, height, and width of the uterine scar showed no significant change from one to two years (all P > 0.05).
Conclusions 3D T2w SPACE MRI provides overall morphologic details and shows dynamic changes in the scar and the uterus between one and two years after cesarean section. Scar morphology after cesarean section reached relatively stable one year after cesarean section, and uterine morphology was closer to normal two years after cesarean section.

Key words: uterine cesarean, scar, uterine morphology, 3D T2w SPACE MRI

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