Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 14, Issue 10 731-734, Copyright © 1995 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Transvaginal color flow imaging in the diagnosis of ovarian tumors
R. Tepper, L. Lerner-Geva, M. M. Altaras, S. Goldberger, G. Ben-Baruch, S. Markov, I. Cohen and Y. Beyth
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sapir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, Israel.
Transvaginal ultrasonography and color flow imaging, performed to
investigate whether there is any diagnostic advantage, were assessed over a
3 year period in 217 patients with adnexal masses prior to explorative
laparotomy. Gray scale sonography and color Doppler flow were performed 1
day prior to surgery. Benign tumors were found in 165 patients and flow was
detectable in 82 (49.7%); 14 patients had tumors of low malignant
potential, 12 (85.7%) of whom showed detectable flow, and 38 had malignant
tumors, in 25 (65.8%) of whom flow was detectable. Blood flow velocity was
evaluated by the calculation of the resistance index prior to surgery. Mean
resistive index was 0.39 +/- 0.05 for malignant tumors, compared with 0.49
+/- 0.06 and 0.55 +/- 0.07 for the low malignant potential and benign
tumors, respectively. These differences were statistically significant (P
< 0.01). When a resistive index of 0.47 was considered the cut-off
value, the sensitivity was 88% and the specificity was calculated to be 85%
(using color Doppler flow as the only diagnostic method). With our large
cohort of patients, we demonstration the contribution of color Doppler flow
examination in differentiating benign from malignant ovarian tumors prior
to surgery.
