X-ray of the pelvis in women, men and children
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Radiography as a method of imaging various body structures, including pelvic X-rays, is crucial for identifying and correctly diagnosing an injury, disease or pathology, as well as tracking the results of their treatment. [1]
Indications for the procedure
The need for an X-ray examination of this anatomical region arises in patients entering the emergency department with severe injuries (as a result of a bruise, fall, road accident, etc.) and a suspected fracture/fracture of the pelvic bones (iliac, pelvic, pubic, ischial); fracture of the pelvic ring, acetabulum or sacrum; dislocation or fracture of the hip joint . [2]
An x-ray also helps to identify the causes:
- pain in the pelvic bones and joints, including those caused by bone damage and degenerative diseases, as well as inflammation of the sacroiliac joint - sacroiliitis;
- pelvic pain , including chronic pelvic pain ;
- pain in the groin area ;
- pain in the pubic region .
To determine the state of bone tissues and identify their destructive changes, an X-ray of the pelvis is performed with pressure sores, which in bedridden patients form over the sacrum, coccyx, ischium or greater trochanter. Bedsores are especially dangerous due to an infectious lesion of the tissue of the underlying bones with the development of osteomyelitis. But x-ray diagnosis of osteomyelitis , as a rule, reveals bone damage in the later stages of the pathological process. Therefore, in this case, MRI is more informative, which allows you to obtain detailed images of both bones and surrounding soft tissues.
An x-ray of the pelvic organs (pelvis minor) - the pelvic cavity below the edges of the pelvic bones, in which the bladder and rectum are located, can reveal the later stages of cysts, tumors and infections of the pelvic bones.
Preparation
How to prepare for a pelvic x-ray? For a few days, you need to stop eating fiber-containing foods that provoke an increased formation of intestinal gases. The last meal should be at least 10-12 hours before the procedure, in the morning it is supposed to do a cleansing enema.
And with constipation, bowel cleansing before an X-ray of the pelvis is carried out with the help of laxatives, which are taken for three to four days before visiting the X-ray room.
Technique of the pelvic x-ray
Immediately before transillumination, the upper part of the patient's abdominal cavity is protected from X-rays by lead plates.
X-ray of the pelvic bones and hip joints can be carried out in three projections: anteroposterior (AP), posterior anterior (AP) and lateral (lateral). The front view shows the pelvic bones from the top of the iliac crest to the proximal femoral shaft, the pubic and ischial bones, the hip joint, the obturator foramen, and the greater trochanters of the proximal femur in profile.
The side view shows the sacrum, coccyx, lumbosacral junction, overlapping femurs, and upper thigh.
What does a pelvic x-ray show?
By visualizing the iliac crest, sacrum, iliosacral joints, greater pelvic ring, pubis and ischium, proximal femur, a pelvic x-ray can show: Anatomical abnormalities in the shape of the pelvis or hip joint; pelvic fractures; fracture, dislocation or arthritis of the hip joint; tumors of the pelvic bones (osteosarcomas).
X-ray signs of a pelvic fracture, see more in the publication X-ray signs of damage to bones and joints
Also read - X- ray signs of diseases of the bones and joints
In addition, an x-ray of a woman's pelvis visualizes the uterus and its cervix, fallopian tubes and ovaries located in the small pelvis, that is, the organs of the female reproductive system. And an x-ray of a man's pelvis shows the prostate gland and seminal glands (vesicles) in the picture. But for diagnostic imaging of the listed pelvic organs, as well as the bladder, ultrasound is used, in particular: abdominal ultrasound of the pelvic organs and uterus, transvaginal ultrasound of the uterus, dopplerography of the fallopian tubes, ultrasound and transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) of the prostate, ultrasound of the bladder. And for the examination of the rectum, there are endoscopic methods - rectoscopy and colonoscopy.