title: Transvaginal ultrasonography combined with CA-125 plasma levels in the diagnosis of endometrioma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the role of transvaginal ultrasonography combined with CA-125 plasma levels in the diagnosis of endometrioma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study with pathological confirmation of the diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University of Cagliari, Italy.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred one consecutive premenopausal nonpregnant women submitted to laparoscopy or laparotomy, from November 1993 to October 1994, because of the presence of an adnexal mass.
  
  
  METHODS
  Within 2 days before surgery all patients underwent transvaginal ultrasonography and evaluation of CA-125 plasma levels. The ultrasonographic impression and the CA-125 value were then compared with the histopathological diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The overall agreement between the test result and the actual outcome was calculated using the kappa index for the transvaginal ultrasonography used alone and for the combination of transvaginal ultrasonography and CA-125 values, for each chosen cutoff and range.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Transvaginal ultrasonography has a strong agreement between test and surgery (kappa value 0.76) whereas the combined use of the two methods is associated with a lower kappa index, ranging from 0.40 to 0.69.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transvaginal ultrasonography used alone has a better predictive capacity in differentiating endometrioma from other adnexal masses than combined methods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guerriero
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mais
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ajossa
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Paoletti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Angiolucci
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Melis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014621:Vagina
chemical_list: D018394:CA-125 Antigen