Transvaginal sonography in the study of the cervix uteri in pregnancy

: The purpose of this prospective and cross sectional study is to evaluate the changes in the cervical length and wide of the cervical canal throughout normal pregnancy and the effect of parity on this process. The material consists of 215 unselected and non complicated pregnancies between 8th and 42nd weeks of gestation. 119 were nulliparous and 96 multiparous women. The cases are divided in subgroups through 5 weeks. The cervical length is measured between OICC and OECC by 5 MHz transvaginal transducer and the wide of the cervical canal at the middle of the cervix. In 6 cases there was a funneling and the pregnancies terminated in abortions or preterm labors, so they were excluded. Unlike other studies we find increase in the cervical length with advancing gestational age until 31 week and a progressive shortening to the end of pregnancy. The wide of the cervical canal is increasing to the end of pregnancy. The wide of the cervical is increasing to the end of pregnancy is between 2 to 6 mm. The parity has insignificant influence on the ultrasound measured cervical length and wide of cervical canal.