Are Transvaginal Sonography and Color doppler findings Useful for the Diagnosis of Adenomyosis?

Yang, H S; Sim, J C

Abstract

This study was designed to evaluate the diagnostic capability of transvaginal sonography and color doppler findings in detecting adenomyosis. We compared the preoperative transvaginal and color doppler findings with the pathological findings of the surgical specimen in a series of women who underwent hysterectomy. From January 1996 to through December 1997, we studied 142 women (mean age of 48.7) with enlarged uterus and recurrent menorrhagia. The sensitivity of transvaginal ultrasonogram was 79%, the specificity 72%, the predictive value of a normal test 80%, and that of an abnormal test 72%. However, color doppler findings had no usefulness for diagnosis of adenomyosis. The mean resistance index of the flow detected within the myometrium of adenomyosis was covering the value of 0.77, while the RI of the uterine arteries was 0.57. In contrast, the mean resistant index of the myometrium was 0.75 and RI of the uterine arteries was 0.74. In conclusion, we can suggest that the transvaginal sonogram might be useful to detect the adenomyosis. But the color doppler findings were not useful to differentiate the adenomyosis and leiomyoma.