Tissue characterization by transvaginal colour Doppler for the evaluation of gynaecological tumours. 2. Clinical experiences.

Abstract

Transvaginal colour Doppler was used to evaluate the blood flow patterns in pelvic vessels in a group of 315 patients including 168 with uterine tumours and 147 with adnexal masses. Neovascularization of malignant tumour tissue was successfully displayed by colour Doppler in the vases of endometrial and ovarian cancers but no abnormal blood supply was observed in the cases of early cervical cancers. A comparison between the characteristics of blood flow within benign and malignant lesions showed lower resistance index in cases of malignancy. The sensitivity, specifity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and the diagnostic accuracy of this new method in the recognition of endometrial and ovarian cancers are higher than 95%. By the help of transvaginal colour Doppler (together with the classical methods as colposcopy, cytology etc.) it will be possible to establish of complex screening programmes for all types of gynaecological cancers.