INTRACERVICAL US WITH A HIGH-FREQUENCY MINIATURE PROBE - A METHOD FORDIAGNOSING EARLY INVASIVE CERVICAL-CANCER

PURPOSE: To determine whether intracervical ultrasound (US) with a hig h-frequency miniature probe can depict cervical neoplasms, especially in early invasive stages. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight women wit h cervical cancer underwent preoperative transvaginal and intracervica l US. US scans were compared with findings from histologic examination or surgery. RESULTS: Intracervical US was completed in 45 of the 48 p atients. Both intracervical and transvaginal US were unable to depict preinvasive cancer. Intracervical US depicted the lesion in eight of 1 6 patients (50%) in whom the depth of cancer invasion was less than or equal to 5 mm, whereas transvaginal US failed to depict the lesion in all 16 patients. Intracervical US depicted the lesions in all 19 pati ents in whom the depth of cancer invasion was more than 5 mm,whereas t ransvaginal US was successful only in 14 (74%). CONCLUSION: Intracervi cal US is useful for evaluating invasive cervical cancer and is especi ally suitable for detecting early invasion in the endocervix.