title: The spectrum of sonographic findings in endometriomas.
abstract: The sonographic features of 40 pathologically proven endometriomas in 32 patients were reviewed to evaluate their sonographic spectrum. Acoustic enhancement was present in 88% and indeterminate in 10% due to technical factors. With respect to internal echo texture, the majority of endometriomas were predominantly anechoic (80%): 7 were totally anechoic; 4 contained septations; 12 contained scattered internal echoes, with or without septations; and 9 contained dependent echoes, with or without septations. Seven endometriomas contained diffuse, low-level internal echoes and were considered hypoechoic, but still fluid-containing masses. Only 1 was echogenic. The overall appearance frequently simulated that of hemorrhagic ovarian cyst, but in some cases endometriomas resembled tubo-ovarian abscess, cystadenoma/cystadenocarcinoma, or ectopic pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Athey
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Diment
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010386:Pelvic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014463:Ultrasonography