Changes in ectocervical surface area in women throughout pregnancy compared to non-pregnant and postpartum states

References

• Leppert P. Anatomy and physiology of cervical ripening. Clin Obstet Gynecol 1995;38:267–79
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Read CP, Word RA, Ruscheinsky MA, et al. Cervical remodeling during pregnancy and parturition: molecular characterization of the softening phase in mice. Reproduction 2007;134:327–40
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Uldbjerg N, Ekman G, Malmstrom A, et al. Ripening of the human uterine cervix related to changes in collagen, glycosaminoglycans, and collagenolytic activity. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1983;147:662–6
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Word RA, Li XH, Hnat M, Carrick K. Dynamics of cervical remodeling during pregnancy and parturition: mechanisms and current concepts. Semin Reprod Med 2007;25:69–79
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Timmons B, Akins M, Mahendroo M. Cervical remodeling during pregnancy and parturition. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2010;21:353–61
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Danforth DN, Veis A, Breen M, et al. The effect of pregnancy and labor on the human cervix: changes in collagen, glycoproteins, and glycosaminoglycans. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1974;120:641–51
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Chwalisz K, Garfield RE. Regulation of the uterus and cervix during pregnancy and labor. Role of progesterone and nitric oxide. Ann NY Acad Sci 1997;828:238–53
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Shi L, Shi SQ, Saade GR, et al. Studies of cervical ripening in pregnant rats: effects of various treatments. Mol Hum Reprod 2000;6:382–9
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Akgul Y, Holt R, Mummert M, et al. Dynamic changes in cervical glycosaminoglycan composition during normal pregnancy and preterm birth. Endocrinology 2012;153:3493–503
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Osmers R, Rath W, Pflanz MA, et al. Glycosaminoglycans in cervical connective tissue during pregnancy and parturition. Obstet Gynecol 1993;81:88–92
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Breeveld-Dwarkasing VN, te Koppele JM, Bank RA, et al. Changes in water content, collagen degradation, collagen content, and concentration in repeated biopsies of the cervix of pregnant cows. Biol Reprod 2003;69:1608–14
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Granstrom L, Ekman G, Ulmsten U, Malstrom U. Changes in the connective tissue of corpus and cervix uteri during ripening and labour in term pregnancy. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 1989;96:1198–202
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Hegele-Hartung C, Chwalisz K, Beier HM, Elger W. Ripening of the uterine cervix of the guinea-pig after treatment with the progesterone antagonist onapristone (ZK 98.299): an electron microscopic study. Human Reprod 1998;4:369–77
   Google Scholar
• Marx SG, Wentz MJ, Mackay LB, et al. Effects of progesterone on iNOS, COX-2, and collagen expression in the cervix. J Histochem Cytochem 2006;54:623–39
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• O’Connell MP, Tidy J, Wisher SJ, et al. An in vivo comparative study of the pregnant and nonpregnant cervix using electrical impedance measurements. BJOG 2000;107:1040–1
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Shi L, Shi SQ, Saade GR, et al. Changes in cervical resistance and collagen fluorescence during gestation in rats. J Perinat Med 1999;27:188–94
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Garfield RE, Chwalisz K, Shi L, et al. Instrumentation for the diagnosis of term and preterm labour. J Perinat Med 1998;26:413–36
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Hwang HS, Sohn IS, Kwon HS. Imaging analysis of cervical elastography for prediction of successful induction of labor at term. J Ultrasound Med 2013;32:937–46
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Badir S, Mazza E, Bajka M. Cervical softening occurs early in pregnancy: characterization of cervical stiffness in 100 healthy women using the aspiration technique. Prenat Diagn 2013;33:737–41
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Parra-Saavedra M, Gómez L, Barrero A, et al. Prediction of preterm birth using the cervical consistency index. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2011;38:44–51
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Feltovich H, Nam K, Hall TJ. Quantitative ultrasound assessment of cervical microstructure. Ultrason Imaging 2010;32:131–42
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• O'Brien CM, Vargis E, Paria BC, et al. Raman spectroscopy provides a noninvasive approach for determining biochemical composition of the pregnant cervix in vivo. Acta Paediatr 2014;103:715–21
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Feltovich H, Hall TJ, Berghella V. Beyond cervical length: emerging technologies for assessing the pregnant cervix. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2012;207:345–54
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Kuon RJ, Shi SQ, Maul H, et al. A novel optical method to assess cervical changes during pregnancy and use to evaluate the effects of progestins on term and preterm labor. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2011;205:82.e15–20
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Kuon RJ, Shi SQ, Maul H, et al. Pharmacologic actions of progestins to inhibit cervical ripening and prevent delivery depend on their properties, the route of administration, and the vehicle. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2010;202:455.e1–9
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Abramoff MD, Magelhaes PJ, Ram SJ. Image processing with ImageJ. Biophotonics Int 2004;11:36–42
   Google Scholar
• de Tejada BM, Faltin DL, Kinkel K, et al. Magnetic resonance imaging of the cervix in women at high risk for preterm delivery. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2011;24:1392–7
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Akins ML, Luby-Phelps K, Mahendroo M. Second harmonic generation imaging as a potential tool for staging pregnancy and predicting preterm birth. J Biomed Opt 2010;15:026020
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar