Characterization of adnexal masses: combination of color Doppler and conventional sonography compared with spectral Doppler analysis alone and conventional sonography alone

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the importance of color Doppler combined with conventional sonography in characterizing adnexal masses and to compare the results with those of spectral Doppler analysis alone and conventional sonography alone.

Materials and methods: One hundred and fifteen women with 132 adnexal masses (98 benign, three borderline, and 31 malignant) were prospectively studied with conventional and Doppler sonography (transabdominal in all patients and transvaginal in 111). Three methods differentiated benign from borderline and malignant masses. In the first, conventional sonography was used. In the second, conventional sonography was combined with color Doppler. In this method, the presence of color flow in an echogenic portion classified as indeterminate or malignant by conventional sonography indicated malignancy; the absence of color flow in an echogenic portion classified as indeterminant or malignant at conventional sonography indicated benignancy; the presence or absence of color flow in a regular wall or septum indicated benignancy. The third method used spectral Doppler analysis. Malignancy was indicated by a resistive index (RI) less than or equal to 0.4, a pulsatility index (PI) less than or equal to 1, or a peak systolic velocity (PSV) greater than or equal to 15 cm/sec.

Results: Using conventional sonography alone, accuracy was 83%, sensitivity was 88%, and specificity was 82%. Using conventional sonography and color Doppler, accuracy was 95%, sensitivity was 88%, and specificity was 97%. Using spectral Doppler analysis and an RI less than or equal to 0.4, accuracy was 77%, sensitivity was 18%, and specificity was 98%. For a PI less than or equal to 1, accuracy was 68%, sensitivity was 71%, and specificity was 67%. For a PSV greater than or equal to 15 cm/sec, accuracy was 72%, sensitivity was 47%, and and specificity was 81%.

Conclusion: Adding color Doppler to conventional sonography produced a specificity and positive predictive value higher than those of conventional sonography alone. Specificity increased from 82% to 97% (p < .001), and positive predictive value increased from 63% to 91%. RI, PI, and PSV were of limited value.