Limitations of transvaginal sonography and color Doppler imaging in the differentiation of endometrial carcinoma from benign lesions

• Published in: Journal of ultrasound in medicine Vol. 13; no. 8; p. 623
• Main Authors: Chan, F Y, Chau, M T, Pun, T C, Lam, C, Ngan, H Y, Leong, L, Wong, R L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-08-1994
• Subjects: Arteries - diagnostic imaging; Diagnosis, Differential; Endometrial Hyperplasia - complications; Endometrial Hyperplasia - diagnostic imaging; Endometrial Neoplasms - complications; Endometrial Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Polyps - complications; Polyps - diagnostic imaging; Postmenopause; Predictive Value of Tests; Sensitivity and Specificity; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; Uterine Hemorrhage - etiology; Uterus - blood supply
• ISSN: 0278-4297
• DOI: 10.7863/jum.1994.13.8.623

We conducted this study to test the hypothesis that transvaginal ultrasonography and color Doppler imaging of the uterine arteries are complementary methods in the assessment of patients with postmenopausal bleeding. Sixty-seven patients were studied. Seventeen suffered from endometrial carcinoma, 12 from benign endometrial lesions (six polyp, six hyperplasia) and 38 had no organic pathology. Transvaginal ultrasonography was found to be superior to CDI in the detection of pathologic conditions of the endometrium, but neither method can distinguish benign lesions from their malignant counterparts. CDI does not give additional information over that obtained by transvaginal ultrasonography in the assessment of patients with postmenopausal bleeding, and the limitations of both methods in the differentiation of endometrial carcinoma from benign lesions need to be recognized.