Intratumoral blood flow analysis in epithelioid trophoblastic tumors.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this series was to describe the transvaginal color pulsed Doppler sonographic features of epithelioid trophoblastic tumors (ETTs) and to evaluate whether there were specific sonographic criteria to accurately distinguish them from other lesions.


METHODS
Seven cases of ETTs treated in the Women's Hospital of Zhejiang University were retrospectively analyzed. Doppler indices, including the Pourcelot resistive index (RI), pulsatility index (PI), and peak systolic to diastolic velocity (S/D) ratio from blood flow signals within the tumors were calculated from each waveform sample by using the software of the ultrasound machines.


RESULTS
Patients with ETTs had heterogeneously echoic masses and highly abnormal flow patterns. The mean PI, RI, and S/D ratio for the patients were 0.57 (range, 0.22-1.09), 0.42 (range, 0.2-0.7), and 1.89 (range, 1.25-3.40), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The clinical usefulness of intratumoral blood flow assessment in ETTs is yet to be established. However, the multiparameter sonographic approach can help in diagnosis of an ETT.
Li
Juanqing
J
Department of Gynecology, Women's Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Shi
Yifu
Y
Wan
Xiaoyun
X
Yao
Weimiao
W
Zhou
Caiyun
C
Qian
Honglang
H
D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D015622:Epithelioid Cells / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D031901:Gestational Trophoblastic Disease / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055420:Perfusion Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods*