Ultrasonographic patterns of different regions of uterus according to pregnancy in cows and heifers.

This study aimed to detect pregnancy within the first 20 days after artificial insemination by evaluating the ultrasonographic patterns of the different regions of uterus in Holstein heifers and cows. Animals were divided into subgroups according to pregnancy on 28th day as pregnant (heifer, n: 15; cow, n: 15) and non-pregnant (heifer, n: 15; cow, n: 15). Images were taken from the ovulation-side cornu uteri (OSC), non-ovulation-side cornu uteri (NOSC), and the corpus uteri (CU) on alternate days from D0 to D20. The images were evaluated by ImageJ software in terms of mean gray value (MGV), homogeneity (HOM), and contrast (CON) and endometrium thickness (ET). The mean MGV and G*T and P*T interactions, the mean CON and G*T and G*P interactions, the mean HOM and G*P interactions, and the mean ET and G*P interactions were statistically significant (p < 0.05). In receiver operating characteristic analyses, D2-D6 for CON and D2, D6, D8, D16, and D20 for HOM of OSC in cows and D8 and D10 MGV and D18 and D20 ET of OSC in heifers had high relationship with positive pregnancy (p < 0.05). The use of echogenicity evaluations and endometrium thickness measurements in reproductive management seems to be suitable for the prediction of pregnancy in cows and heifers.