title: Role of sonography in the diagnosis of retained products of conception.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present our experience with clinical and sonographic diagnosis of retained products of conception and to evaluate its correlation with histopathologic findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective study on 156 patients admitted for retained products of conception. Women were referred because of 1 or more of the following: abdominal pain, bleeding, and fever. The status of the cervix was evaluated by bimanual examination. The diagnosis of retained products of conception was made when a sonographic finding of hyperechoic or hypoechoic material was seen in any part of the uterine cavity or the presence of a thickened endometrial stripe greater than 8 mm and an irregular interface between the endometrium and myometrium was found. One hundred twenty-one women (77.6%) were admitted after dilation and curettage for abortion, and 35 (22.4%) were admitted after spontaneous labor.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histopathologic reports confirmed the diagnosis of retained products of conception in 86 (71%) of 121 women in the postabortion group and in 17 (48.5%) of 35 women in the postpartum group. The overall false-positive rate for sonographic diagnosis was 34%. For women after abortion and after delivery, the false-positive rates were 28.9% and 51.5%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reliance on common signs and symptoms to diagnose retained products of conception as well as the use of sonography is associated with an unacceptably high false-positive rate, mainly after delivery. A more conservative approach to the treatment of retained products of conception is suggested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Edith Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel. oscars@post.tau.ac.il
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sadan
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Golan
authors.forename: Ofer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Girtler
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lurie
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Debby
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sagiv
authors.forename: Shmuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Evron
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Glezerman
mesh_terms: D000027:Abortion, Incomplete / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D014599:Uterus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging