title: Transvaginal color Doppler and CA125 as tools in the differential diagnosis of postmenopausal ovarian masses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether transvaginal color Doppler and CA125 are valid in differentiating malignant from benign postmenopausal ovarian masses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-two women with ovarian masses were studied with transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound before surgery. Serum CA125 levels were also measured. Resistance index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI) were calculated from the waveforms generated from blood flow within the ovary.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Benign tumors had a significantly higher pulsatility index (mean 1.23 +/- 1.02; range 0.65-2.99) and resistive index (mean 0.78 +/- 0.22; range 0.5-1.1) than did malignant tumors. However some overlap in individual values for benign and malignant lesions was found. RI and PI sensitivity were significantly higher than those with CA125 (P < 0.05). Blood flow was detectable by color Doppler imaging in 95% of cases with malignant masses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Doppler sonographic evaluation of resistance and pulsatility indexes in the vessels of ovarian masses together with CA125 increased the sensitivity of prediction of malignancy for pelvic masses, but further work is needed before the validity of these factors is proved.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, Areteion Hospital, Greece.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Botsis
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kassanos
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kalogirou
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karakitsos
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liapis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Antoniou
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019160:Endosonography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D010053:Ovary / Q000098:blood supply; D011673:Pulsatile Flow / Q000502:physiology; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018394:CA-125 Antigen