Complementary use of hysterosalpingography, hysteroscopy and laparoscopy in 100 infertile patients: results and comparison of their diagnostic accuracy.

While there is no disputing the invaluable role of laparoscopy in the study of the infertile woman, the function of hysterosalpingography (HSG) and hysteroscopy is still left open to debate. Our research concerns 100 infertile women undergoing HSG, hysteroscopy and laparoscopy; the aim of the study was to check the diagnostic accuracy of the three tests. The sensitivity and specificity of HSG vs hysteroscopy were 74.2% and 91.3% respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of HSG vs laparoscopy were 64.5% and 63.3% as regards tubal patency and 6.9% and 92.8% in the diagnosis of tubal phimosis and pelvic pathology. Despite the limits HSG revealed, our results show that a correct study of the infertile woman can only be accomplished by a combination of all three tests; we therefore recommend a combined approach using all three procedures in all infertile patients.