USE OF LAPROSCOPIC ULTRASONOGRAPHY TO DETECT OVARIAN REMNANTS

Ovarian remnant syndrome is a complication of oophorectomy. It usually occurs in patients with distorted anatomy from adhesions and endometr iosis, which makes surgical dissection difficult.(1,2) The adhesions f requently result from pelvic inflammatory disease or previous pelvic o perations.(3) Although it is often technically difficult, resection is the most effective treatment for ovarian remnant syndrome.(1-3) We ha ve managed ovarian remnant syndrome successfully during laparoscopy.(4 ,5) However, difficulty in diagnosing ovarian remnants during laparosc opy is not uncommon.(3) Laparoscopic ultrasonography has been suggeste d to overcome the lack of tactile information.(6) This technique has b een used successfully to delineate the hepatobiliary anatomy during la paroscopic cholecystectomy,(7) and for identifying hepatic(8) and panc reatic(9) malignancies. We report the use of laparoscopic ultrasonogra phy to locate and monitor resection of bilateral ovarian remnants.