Usefulness of preoperative transvaginal ultrasonography of women with advanced gastric carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: Transvaginal ultrasonography (TVUS) is widely used to diagnose d iseases in obstetrics and gynecology. We performed TVUS for diagnosing peri toneal dissemination preoperatively in cases of advanced gastric carcinoma in women. METHODS: Thirty-six female patients with advanced gastric carcinoma were in vestigated in the current study. TVUS was performed for 24 patients. Comput ed tomography (CT) was done for all of the women, and the sensitivity and s pecificity in detecting the existence of ascites were compared between the two in preoperative examinations. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of CT in detecting ascites were 46.7%, 100%, 100%, 72.4%, and 77.8%, :respectively. The results of TVUS were rated as 8 0%, 100%, 100%, 87.5%, and 91.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative TVUS is quite significant for predicting the exis tence of peritonitis carcinomatosa in women with advanced gastric carcinoma . The aim of the current study was to reduce the use of inappropriate and i nvasive surgical treatments, including exploratory laparotomy, for women-wi th incurable advanced gastric carcinoma. (Am J Gastroenterol 1999;94:2509-2 512. (C) 1999 by Am. Coll. of Gastroenterology).