Complementary role of sonography and arteriography in management of uterine choriocarcinoma.

Uterine choriocarcinoma develops fairly frequently after passage of a hydatidiform mole and very rarely after normal pregnancy or abortion. The disease is highly curable by chemotherapy, especially if detected early. Histologic examination of uterine curettings is unreliable and the principal indicator of active primary or metastatic disease is the HCG titer. The ability to visualize the tumor is helpful for a variety of reasons. In the past, this has been achieved primarily through arteriography. Our experience with 6 patients suggests that sonography is as sensitive a detector as arteriography and perhaps somewhat more specific. These facts, plus its convenience and repeatability, make ultrasound the method of choice for visualization of intrauterine malignant trophoblastic disease. Arteriography will continue to play an important role where the sonographic findings are equivocal and where local invasion or distant metastases are suspected.