title: Ultrasonography and color Doppler-based triage for adnexal masses to provide the most appropriate surgical approach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was undertaken to identify whether ultrasonography with color Doppler can identify and triage the patients with adnexal masses to the most appropriate surgical approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred fifty-three pelvic masses were included in the study and underwent ultrasonography before surgical treatment for adnexal masses. Masses that showed a typical benign pattern at B-mode ultrasonography (very low risk of malignancy) were treated by conventional laparoscopy without further evaluation. Masses that extended above the umbilicus were consider at very high risk and treated by laparotomy. All other adnexal masses were evaluated with power Doppler. Masses with central vascularization (high risk of malignancy) were submitted to laparotomy or laparoscopy with additional tools, whereas masses with peripheral or absent flow (low risk of malignancy) were submitted to conventional laparoscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 284 very low-risk, 32 low-risk, 46 high-risk, 91 very high-risk masses, the rate of malignant masses were 0%, 0%, 52%, and 78%, respectively. The use of color Doppler increases the diagnostic accuracy of B-mode ultrasonography in the diagnosis of adnexal malignancies because of a significantly higher specificity (0.91 vs 0.82, P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The evaluation of vessel distribution by color Doppler seems a safe diagnostic procedure, permitting to treat by laparoscopy 91% of benign masses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. gineca.sguerriero@tiscali.it
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guerriero
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ajossa
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Garau
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Piras
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Paoletti
authors.forename: Gian Benedetto
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Melis
mesh_terms: D000291:Adnexal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods*