Diameter-by-age reference curves for the uterine cervix by computerized tomography

OBJECTIVE: To create diameter-by-age reference curves for the uterine cervix using computerized tomographic studies. METHODS: Measurements of the anterior-posterior (AP) and lateral diameters of nonpathological cervices were made at the level of the vaginal fornices in 499 computerized tomographic studies. Patients were grouped by 10-year age intervals. For each age group, median AP and lateral cervical diameters were calculated, as were 10th and 90th percentile values. Values for the 3 curves were smoothed across age categories using second-order polynomial regression procedures. RESULTS: The median AP diameter was 26 mm (range, 15-45 mm), and the median lateral diameter was 32 mm (range, 20-70 mm). For both measurements, the range of values between the 10th and 90th percentiles decreased with increasing age, creating funnel-shaped plots. CONCLUSIONS: Radiological measurements of cervical diameters and comparison to standard curves may contribute information in the evaluation of uterine cervical pathology or may heighten awareness of pathologies not previously identified.