ABSTRACT
Pelvic pain, acute or chronic, accounts for more than 10% of referrals to gynecologists.
Pain accounts for more than 40% of gynecologic diagnostic laparoscopies. Predicting
operative findings is critical in planning surgical interventions, as well as preoperative
and postoperative medical therapy. Ultrasound is useful in preoperative evaluation
and in predicting surgical findings. This section reviews the use of various ultrasound
modalities in evaluating adnexal masses and associated pelvic pain. Morphologic assessment
with two-dimensional (2-D) ultrasound is the foundation for adnexal evaluation. The
ultrasound morphology of common ovarian and adnexal masses is reviewed. The application
and reliability of Doppler assessment is also reviewed. New advances, such as three-dimensional
(3-D) sonography, 3-D vascular assessment, and contrast imaging, augment diagnostic
accuracy. These advances may find future application in the clinical evaluation of
patients. This section reviews the application of 2-D morphology, Doppler analysis,
3-D morphology, rendering and vascular assessment, and the use of contrast agents
in the ultrasound evaluation of patients with adnexal masses and pelvic pain.
KEYWORDS
Ultrasonography - adnexal masses - pelvic pain
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James M ShwayderM.D. J.D.
3rd Floor: Ob-Gyn, University of Louisville School of Medicine
550 S. Jackson Street, Louisville, KY 40202
eMail: james.shwayder@louisville.edu
