Assessment of tubal factor contribution to female infertility in a low resource setting (southwest Nigeria): Hysterosalpingography vs laparoscopy

Female factor contribution to infertility in Africa is commonly due to tubal disease. The incidence of bilateral tubal occlusion among infertile African patients is about three times higher than in the developed countries. This is largely due to a high prevalence of pelvic inflammatory disease in Africa. Tubal patency can be investigated using hysterosalpingography laparoscopy and dye test and more recently hysterosalpingo-contrast sonography. However laparoscopy is largely thought to be the gold standard for tubal assessment. Hysterosalpingography or hysteroscopy has a complimentary role to laparoscopy in excluding endometrial pathology in the evaluation of infertile patients. (excerpt)