Clinical (age, menopausal status, complaints and physical examination), biochemical (serum CA-125 levels) and other sonographic features (tumor volume, ascites, bilaterality, blood flow location and velocimetric pattern) from 163 women diagnosed as having a solid adnexal mass on B-mode gray-scale ultrasound were reviewed for this retrospective study. All patients had undergone surgery and mass removal. Definitive histologic diagnosis was available in all cases. All parameters were compared to final histological diagnosis (benign or malignant) in univariate statistical analysis. Then a stepwise forward logistic regression analysis was performed to identify those features that independently predict malignancy.

A total of 173 masses were analyzed. Patients mean age was 52.4 years (range: 15 to 84 years) 117 masses were malignant and 56 were benign. After univariate analysis all parameters showed statistical differences between benign and malignant tumors. After logistic regression analysis only central blood flow (odd ratio: 64.2, 95% CI: 17.07 to 242.03) and presence of ascites (odd ratio: 32.77, 95% CI: 5.38 to 199.72) were identified as independent predictors of malignancy. The presence of one of these two features correlated to malignancy in 98.6% of cases. The absence of both was found in 82.1% of benign tumors.

The presence or absence of ascites or central blood flow may be helpful for discriminating benign from malignant solid adnexal masses.

To verify whether 3D transvaginal ultrasonography is as accurate as 2D conventional ultrasonography and whether it provides additional advantages in gynecologic diagnosis.

We performed a prospective study in 46 women who underwent 2D and 3D transvaginal scans successively. Three 3D volumes (uterus and each ovary) were acquired and evaluated 4 months later on a personal computer. We compared 2D and 3D scans in relation to sonographic diagnosis and biometry and the time spent.

There was complete agreement between 2D and 3D techniques for sonographic diagnosis (31 normal exams, 16 adnexal cysts and seven myomas), except for the visualization and measurement of the uterine cervix. The mean time for 2D scans was 3.29 ± 1.32 minutes and was 2.96 ± 0.58 minutes for 3D examination (P = 0.076). The time required to acquire 3D volumes was only 1 hour, freeing 1 hour and 32 minutes for the performance of new scans.

Transvaginal 3D ultrasonography can be more efficient than conventional 2D ultrasonography in gynecologic diagnosis.

To evaluate prospectively an ultrasound-based scoring system as a method for triaging symptomatic women presenting with an adnexal mass for surgical treatment.

151 symptomatic women scheduled for surgical treatment at our institution were included in this prospective study. Patients were evaluated by transvaginal power Doppler ultrasound prior to surgery. Patients were classified as low-risk or high-risk for malignancy according an ultrasound-based scoring system. Patients with low risk for malignancy were scheduled for laparoscopy and patients for high risk for malignancy were scheduled for laparotomy. Some patients with high-risk were scheduled for advanced oncologic laparoscopic surgery. Patients with low risk but tumor size > 10 cm were scheduled for laparotomy.

82 women presented with pelvic pain, 8 had uterine bleeding and 61 referred symptoms suggestive for ovarian malignancy, such as abdominal swelling, bloating and abdominal discomfort. 75 (49.7%) masses were considered as “low-risk” and treated by laparoscopy in 58 cases and by laparotomy in 7 cases, because emergency or associated pathology (All tumors were benign). 76 (50.3%) masses were considered as “high-risk” and all treated by laparotomy (56 malignant and 4 benign tumors) or by advanced laparoscopy (16 malignant tumors). Ten (6.7%) tumors were considered as “low-risk” but scheduled for primary laparotomy because of size > 10 cm (9 benign and 1 malignant). Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for this scoring system were 98.6%, 94.9%, 94.7% and 98.7%, respectively. The scoring system were more sensitive than patient's complaints (98.6% vs 79.5%, p < 0.0001) and more specific than physical examination (94.9% vs 85.9%, p < 0.0001)

Ultrasound based triage of symptomatic women diagnosed, as having an adnexal mass is effective for selecting surgical approach.

Deep pelvic endometriosis is defined as subperitoneal infiltration of endometrial implants in the uterosacral ligaments, rectum, rectovaginal septum, vagina, or bladder. Although laparoscopy and biopsy remain the gold standard for diagnosis, transvaginal ultrasonography should be considered as the first-line procedure because of its high diffusion and relatively low cost and discomfort. We analyzed in the present review the diagnostic capability of transvaginal ultrasonography in the detection of presence of deep endometriosis in some specific pelvic localizations such as bowel, uterosacral ligaments, rectovaginal septum and/or vagina. We also analyzed the few studies performed in the evaluation of bladder endometriosis. Although some studies are controversial, transvaginal ultrasonography seems to be an accurate technique in the identifications of deep endometriosis in several pelvic locations but a specific training of the operators is suggested.

We studied the effectiveness of three-dimensional (3D) ultrasonography in the diagnosis of uterine malformations.

175 patients with clinical or ultrasonographic suspicion of uterine malformation were studied between November 2004 and June 2008. In all women we measured uterine volume for processing and later reconstruction of 3D images. Cases in which no anomaly was detected with the 3D technique were excluded from study. A thorough physical genital examination with speculum was done before or after ultrasonography, except in three women with an imperforate hymen. Uterine malformations were recorded in detail, and the findings were catalogued according to the American Fertility Society (AFS) classification. In 32 women magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was also used, and agreement between the two techniques was calculated with the kappa index.

The 175 müllerian anomalies we analyzed were diagnosed as agenesis (1 case), unicornuate uterus (1 genuine, 1 communicating), didelphys uterus (4), bicornuate uterus (22), septate uterus (80, 8 with two cervices) and arcuate uterus (68). For 1 unicornuate, 3 bicornuate, 25 septate (4 with two cervices) and 3 arcuate uteri we performed MR imaging. Diagnostic correlation between 3D ultrasonography and MR imaging was obtained in all cases according to the AFS classification (kappa = 100%); concordance was also seen for descriptions of associated uterine malformations except for two cases: 1 bicornuate uterus with the additional presence of a cervical septum as detected by MR imaging, which was not found on hysteroscopy for resection, and 1 septate uterus that appeared to have two cervices on 3D ultrasonography in a patient in whom physical examination was not possible, and in whom MR imaging showed a complete septum with hypointense signals (kappa = 93.45%; 95% confidence interval 80.75- 100%).

Owing to its ability to clearly render contours of anatomical structures, 3D ultrasonography provides detailed images of uterine malformations and yields very similar results to those obtained with MR imaging. For an accurate comparison of the two techniques, ultrasonography should be accompanied by gynecologic physical exploration, since the two methods yield equivalent results for the relation between the uterine cavity and the fundus. MR imaging is especially useful to evaluate the cervix and vagina.

Adnexal masses can be classified in ovarian, paraovarian or tubal. In the present review we analyzed the diagnostic performance of transvaginal ultrasonography in identifying simple ultrasonographic findings of benign adnexal pathology but also the role of color Doppler in the differential diagnoses between benign and malignant masses and in the preoperative triage. Because of many kinds of adnexal masses have usually a typical ultrasound appearance, the results of the studies present in literature showed a good and sufficient diagnostic accuracy. Unfortunately some cases with uncertain findings are present and in these cases the addition of color Doppler can be useful as demonstrated by several authors. Using the location of flow evaluated using color Doppler as main parameter a mass should be graded as malignant if flow is shown centrally within the excrescences or solid areas. The same approach should be used to triage the patients with adnexal masses to the most appropriate surgical approach with an increase of less invasive surgery.

Malignancy has classically been described, as having vessels “seemingly deployed without purpose.” In other words, vascularity that does not have tree like in branching with orderly distal tapering is abnormal. 3D imaging can create a virtual cast of vessels, to be “cut into” and “manipulated” on a computer monitor. This can be thought of as a most valuable “Tissue Block” of data, unlike any other imaging test, and I believe, holds the key to a more accurate diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

Three-dimensional Power Doppler ultrasound is a new imaging modality for assessing tissue vascularization, which is being introduced into clinical practice and it is being increasingly used. In the last years a number of papers assessing the role of this method for assessing adnexal masses vascularization have been published. The aim of this work is to address some technical aspects of 3D US, to review critically its current status in clinical practice and to address future perspectives of its use.