Hemodynamic changes of the uterine artery in mares with different uterine pathologies

Cysts, fluid accumulation, inflammatory changes and tumors are common uterine pathologies in mares. It was aimed to investigate the change of uterine hemody­namics in mares according to uterine pathologies (endometritis or intrauterine cysts). The study contained 28 mares and the groups formed as 9 gynaecologically healthy diestrus mares (Group H), 9 mares with endometritis (Group E) and 10 mares with intra­uterine cyst (Group C). The mean uterine diameter (UD) in Group H (2.29±0.18 cm) was significantly lower than in Group C (2.97±0.19 cm) (P<0.05) and in Group E (3.47±0.29 cm) (P<0.01). The diameters of the intrauterine cysts ranged between 0.51 cm and 1.83 cm in Group C. The highest diameter of the uterine artery (UA) was observed in Group E. Hemodynamic indices of UA (PI and RI) in Group E were not significantly different from those in Group C (P>0.05). However, PI and RI values in Group H were significantly lower than both in Group E and Group C (P<0.001). The UA waveform in Group E had an early diastolic notch while systolic notches and small diastolic peaks were observed in the UA waveforms of the mares in group C. Doppler USG is considered as a useful tool to analyze the waveform and hemodynamics of the UA related to the different pathologies (cyst or endometritis). It was concluded that not only Doppler indices but also character­istics of the waveforms of the UA should be evaluated to understand the hemodynamic effect of the uterine pathologies. Hemodinamične spremembe maternične arterije pri kobilah z različnimi patologijami maternice Ciste, nabiranje tekočine, vnetne spremembe in tumorji so pogoste patologije maternice pri kobilah. Naš namen je bil preučiti hemodinamične spremembe maternice glede na patologijo maternice (endometritis ali intrauterine ciste). V študijo je bilo vključenih 28 kobil, razdeljenih v skupine: 9 ginekološko zdravih kobil v diestrusu (skupina H), 9 kobil z endometritisom (skupina E) in 10 kobil z intrauterino cisto (skupina C). Povprečni premer maternice (UD) v skupini H (2.29±0.18) je bil bistveno manjši kot v skupini C (2.97±0.19 cm) (P<0.05) in skupini E (3.47±0.29 cm) (P<0.01). Premeri inrauterinih cist v skupini C so se gibali med 0.51 cm in 1.83 cm. Največji premer maternične arterije (UA) je bil opažen v skupini E. Hemodinamični indeksi UA (PI in RI) v skupini E se niso bistveno razlikovali od tistih v skupini C (P>0.05). Vrednosti PI in RI v skupini H pa so bile bistveno nižje kot v skupini E in C (P<0.001). Pri skupini E je bil v krivulji UA prisoten zgodnji diastolični vrez, medtem ko so bile v krivulji UA kobil iz skupine C opazne sistolične zareze in majhni diastolični vrhovi. Dopplerjev USG velja za uporabno orodje za analizo valovanja in hemodinamike UA, povezanih z različnimi patologijami (cista ali endometritis). Ugotovljeno je bilo, da je za razumevanje hemodinamskega učinka patologij maternice poleg dopplerskih indeksov potrebno vrednotiti tudi značilnosti valovnih oblik UA. Ključne besede: Doplerjeva ultrazvočna preiskava; endometritis; intrauterina cista; zareza