A comparison of Dextran 70 with carbon dioxide as the distention medium for hysteroscopy in patients with infertility or requesting reversal of a prior tubal sterilization.

Our previous publications have demonstrated a high prevalence of hysteroscopic findings, particularly adhesions and polyps. It was the purpose of this study to compare the findings in 992 women in whom hysteroscopy was successfully performed by Dextran 70 with a similar group of 335 women in whom hysteroscopy was performed by CO2 as the distention medium. The incidence of uterine abnormalities in women with primary infertility, secondary infertility, and requesting reversal of sterilization when Dextran was used as the distention medium was 29%, 41%, and 33%, respectively, but only 7.2%, 11%, and 6%, respectively, when CO2 was used. It was concluded from these data that many of the findings of our preliminary studies were probably artifactual and a function of the technique of hysteroscopy and that our early reports must be read with caution.