Use of diagnostic ultrasound in trophoblastic neoplasms and ovarian tumors

Abstract

Analyses of the data on the ultrasonic diagnostic accuracies are presented for the cases of hydatidiform mole and ovarian tumors. These data are derived from two sources: the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center (SUNY‐DMC) and the Chiba University School of Medicine (Chiba U.), Japan. Diagnosis of hydatidiform mole was correct in 47 (92.2%) of 51 (SUNY‐DMC) and 66 (91.6%) of 72 cases (Chiba U.). The incidences of lutein cysts were 29.4% (SUNY‐DMC) and 18.1% (Chiba U.). Ultrasound plays an important role in the postmolar follow‐up: increased intrauterine echoes in the subinvoluted uterus may signal a developing invasive mole or choriocarcinoma. Ultrasonic diagnoses of 223 (SUNY‐DMC) and 183 (Chiba U.) ovarian tumors have been analyzed and the rates of diagnostic errors for the individual tumors are presented. Solid ovarian tumors appear to be more difficult to diagnose than cystic ovarian tumors.