ULTRASOUND AND THE PELVIC MASS

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 28  (12) , 833-837
Abstract
The findings from pelvic examination, preoperative ultrasound and surgery on 50 patients who underwent exploratory laparotomy for a pelvic mass were reviewed. Of the 50 cases, 34 (68%0) were correctly diagnosed as a pelvic mass by both pelvic examination and ultrasonography. Ultrasound had 9 false-negatives (21%) and only 1 false-positive (2%). Pelvic examination had 7 false-positives (16%). There was no statistical difference by chi-square analysis in the accuracy between ultrasonography and pelvic examination in the detection or diagnosis of the masses. Ultrasound indicated pathology not associated with the suspected mass in 10 patients; surgery confirmed pathology in 5 of them. More errors occurred on both pelvic examination and ultrasonography in obese patients than in nonobese ones: 7 of the 10 ultrasound errors occurred in obese patients, and 5 of the 7 pelvic exam errors also occurred in obese patients. In the 9 cases of false-negative ultrasound findings surgery was postponed, but all of them eventually underwent surgery because of a deteriorating clinical course. Pelvic ultrasonography was not beneficial in the management of patients with a known or suspected pelvic mass, but it was very accurate for confirmation of a mass.