PATHOGNOMONIC ECHO PATTERNS OF BENIGN CYSTIC TERATOMAS OF THE OVARY -CLASSIFICATION, INCIDENCE AND ACCURACY RATE OF SONOGRAPHIC DIAGNOSIS

The great variability in the sonographic appearance of ovarian cystic teratomas poses difficulties for their diagnosis and classification. T o overcome such difficulties, we have proposed a simplified classifica tion of the pathognomonic echo patterns of ovarian cystic teratomas ba sed on three basic types of echo pattern. In a prospective study of 11 8 echogenic adnexal masses, with postoperative histological confirmati on, this classification enabled the correct diagnosis to be made in 11 5 cases (accuracy rate, 97.45%). In the three cases misdiagnosed preop eratively as ovarian cystic teratoma, the tumors proved to be benign a nd included a serous cyst adenoma, a serous cyst adenofibroma and a Br enner tumor. We suggest that, with our proposed classification of the echo patterns of ovarian cystic teratomas, sonography can become a qui ck and accurate tool in the recognition of this condition.