Correlation of Ultrasound and Pathologic Findings in Patients With Epithelial Carcinoma of the Ovary

Abstract

The findings from preoperative diagnostic ultrasound were compared with operative and pathologic findings in patients with ovarian cancer. Twenty laparotomies were diagnostic second-look procedures and 21 were therapeutic procedures in patients with clinically evident disease. Ultrasound was more reliable in patients with clinically suspected disease, but a site by site analysis demonstrated it is insensitive for detecting prevertebral adenopathy less than 3 cm in size, thin, 1.5 cm omental plaques, 5 cm or smaller lesions involving the mesentery or bowel and peritoneal masses 2 cm or less in size. Ultrasound was most sensitive in the detection of ascites.

Preoperative Ultrasound Assessment of Omental Spread in Ovarian Cancer

“…In our experience, the overall test accuracy was much higher than the figures previously reported by other authors [11,12]. This is probably due to both the use of the latest equipment, and to our very systematic search for omental abnormalities.…”

The impact of computed tomography and ultrasonography on the management of patients with carcinoma of the ovary

“…US is effective in assessing disease in the pelvis, upper abdomen and liver and is a very sensitive method of diagnosing the presence of ascites but it is not a good method of diagnosing disease in the omentum, mesentery or bowel (Khan et al, 1986). CT is probably more accurate in diagnosing the presence of disease in certain areas such as paraaortic lymph nodes (Kerr-Wilson et al, 1984;Wicks et al, 1984;Sonnendecker & Butterworth, 1985;Sommer et al, 1982), the omentum, mesentery and sub-diaphragmatic regions (Sommer et al, 1982;Levitt et al, 1978;Bernardino et al, 1979;Whitley et al, 1981;Johnson et al, 1983). Overall, studies have shown CT and US to be of similar usefulness (Kerr-Wilson et al, 1984;Sommer et al, 1982;Nash et al, 1979;Paling & Shawker, 1981) and most studies agree that neither technique can replace second-look laparotomy (Sonnendecker & Butterworth, 1985;Sommer et al, 1982;Johnson et al, 1983;Stern et al, 1981).…”