Usefulness of color Doppler in the differential diagnosis of adnexal masses

BACKGROUND: The aims of this study were to verify the predictive performance of color-Doppler analysis in the differential diagnosis of adnexal masses and to evaluate the prognostic value of a new "vascular score". METHODS: One-hundred-ninety-six patients referred to our Institute for adnexal masses were evaluated with color and pulsed Doppler within 2-3 days from surgery, and the velocimetric results were compared to histopathological data. On the basis of histopathology, patients were classified in 166 with benign and 30 with malignant ovarian tumors. RESULTS: The predictivity obtained with color Doppler analysis ("vascular score") was compared to that of some "morphological scores" commonly used in the literature. The sensitivity was 100% for all the techniques used, but Doppler analysis had a higher specificity with respect to the others (95% vs max 76% for echographic techniques). The introduction of a new "vascular score" based on the introduction of the acceleration of flow in another score system previously presented, was not able to improve the predictive performance of color Doppler analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Color Doppler ultrasonography of ovarian tumors seems to be a reliable method in the differential diagnosis of adnexal masses, and its potential use in the choice of a less-invasive surgical approach in selected cases (those negative to the "vascular score") should be considered.