BLOOD-FLOW IN FUNCTIONAL CYSTS AND BENIGN OVARIAN NEOPLASMS IN PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

To assess the value of transvaginal color Doppler sonography in the di fferentiation of functional cysts from benign ovarian neoplasms in pre menopausal women, 100 premenopausal women with the diagnosis of adnexa l mass were enrolled in a prospective study. All patients underwent tr ansvaginal color Doppler sonography during the follicular phase. We ev aluated 107 masses. Tumor volume and morphology were assessed, as were tumor blood flow location, the number of vessels, the resistive and p ulsatility indices, and the peak systolic velocity. Patients were foll owed up after 8 to 10 weeks by transvaginal sonography. Functional cys ts were considered when spontaneous resolution occurred. Surgery was p erformed if a tumor enlarged or persisted after hive scans. Thirty-nin e (36.5%) cysts regressed spontaneously and 68 (63.5%) were removed su rgically. Seven of the latter were follicular or luteal cysts and were considered to be functional cysts. No carcinoma was found. Arterial b lood flow was detected in 28 (60.8%) functional cysts and in 42 (68.8% ) benign neoplasms (P = 0.3446). The vessels were located peripherally in 27 (94.6%) functional cysts and in 37 (88.1%) benign neoplasms (P = 0.2226). No differences were found between functional cysts and beni gn neoplasms in mean resistive index (0.65, 95% confidence interval: 0 .59 to 0.71 versus 0.64, 95% confidence interval: 0.60 to 0.69), mean pulsatility index (1.47, 95% confidence interval: 1.17 to 1.84 versus 1.57, 95% confidence interval: 1.26 to 1.86), number of vessels (1.1, 95% confidence interval: 0.7 to 1.3 versus 1.4, 95% confidence interva l: 1.1 to 1.8), and peak systolic velocity (28.6 cm/s, 95% confidence interval: 24.7 to 34.2 versus 24.9 cm/s, 95% confidence interval: 21.6 to 28.3). We concluded that transvaginal color Doppler sonography is not useful to discriminate between functional ovarian cysts and benign ovarian neoplasms in premenopausal women.