Correlation between salpingoscopic and laparoscopic staging in the assessment of the distal fallopian tube.

OBJECTIVE

To correlate the severity and extent of intraluminal tubal abnormalities assessed by transfimbrial salpingoscopy with traditional criteria for evaluating distal tubal disease at laparoscopy.

DESIGN

Prospective 2-year clinical trial with long-term follow-up.

SETTING

University-affiliated tertiary care reproductive medicine and surgery practice.

PATIENTS: Fifty-five infertile women with suspected distal tubal disease or unexplained infertility.

INTERVENTIONS: Transfimbrial salpingoscopy was performed at the time of laparoscopy and terminal neosalpingostomy when appropriate. Salpingoscopic and laparoscopic findings of 91 fallopian tubes were scored independently.

RESULTS

No correlation between laparoscopic and salpingoscopic findings was noted in group I tubes (n = 51) categorized as having minimal disease or no pathology by traditional staging. In contrast, a strong correlation was noted between findings obtained from these two techniques in group II tubes (n = 40) diagnosed as having moderate-to-severe tubal disease at laparoscopy. Intrauterine pregnancy was achieved in 38.9% (7/18) of patients with mean salpingoscopy scores < or = to 12 versus 3.8% (1/26) of patients with mean scores > 12. Life-table analyses of cumulative estimated pregnancy rates were significantly different between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Fallopian tubes with minimal pathology appreciated at laparoscopy may have more significant intraluminal disease appreciated at salpingoscopy. In contrast, laparoscopic and salpingoscopic findings do correlate well in cases of more severe distal disease. Elevated mean salpingoscopy scores are associated with an extremely poor prognosis for conception.