ASSESSMENT OF THE CERVIX IN PREGNANT WOMEN USING SHEAR WAVE ELASTOGRAPHY: A FEASIBILITY STUDY

The quantitative assessment of the cervix is crucial for the estimation of pre-term delivery risk and the prediction of the success of labor induction. We conducted a cross-sectional study using shear wave elastography based on the supersonic shear imaging technique. The shear wave speed (SWS) of the lower anterior part of the cervix was quantified over an 8-mm region of interest in 157 pregnant women. Cervical SWS is slightly but significantly reduced in patients diagnosed with pre-term labor and in patients who actually delivered pre-term. (E-mail: mmuller2@ncsu.edu) (C) 2015 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology.