A Comparative Study on Hysterosalpingography Findings between Young-Aged and Middle-Aged Women at a Tertiary Health Facility in Niger-Delta Region

Abstract

Background: Hysterosalpingography (HSG) is an important imaging modality in Radio-diagnosis for the evaluation of the female uterine cavity and the fallopian tubes.  HSG is still actively in use as it is cheap, readily available and easy to interpret. Objective: The aim of this study is to compare the indications for HSG and its findings between Young-Aged and Middle-Aged women in a typical Nigerian tertiary hospital. Methods: A retrospective study and analytical design was employed in this study. A total of 266 patient’s data was used, 133 in each group respectively. A P-value below 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Two-hundred and sixty-six women were studied with 133 in each age group over a 5-month period. Those ≤35 years were categorized as young-aged and ˃35 years categorized as middle aged women respectively.  Secondary infertility is seen more in the middle-aged women (n=92, 69.2%) and primary infertility more in the younger-aged group (n=5, 3.8%). Overall, uterine abnormalities were more in the young-aged (69, 51.9% vs 66, 49.6%). Tubal abnormalities ranked highest among HSG findings (153, 57.5%) and is more common in the middle-aged women (n=89, 66.9% vs 64, 48.1%). There was significant association between age and tubal abnormalities (P=0.002). Conclusion: HSG is still relevant in the evaluation of women within the reproductive age range. Infertility is the most frequent indication in this study, with secondary infertility seen more in the middle-aged women group. Uterine fibroid is commoner in middle-aged women while uterine synechiae occurs more in young-aged women. Tubal occlusion is the commonest of the tubal pathology and only tubal abnormalities had significant association with age, with this pathology being more likely in middle-aged women.