Ultrasound of Ovarian Mass

ABSTRACT

As a primary imaging modality for evaluation of an ovarian mass, ultrasound (US) can provide us with various diagnostic information. Using a pattern recognition approach through gray-scale transvaginal US, diagnosis of an ovarian mass can be made with high specificity and sensitivity and Doppler US may increase the confidence with which a correct diagnosis of benignity or malignancy is made. Although a hemorrhagic corpus luteal cyst, endometrioma, or mature teratoma can be readily characterized on the basis of typical sonographic findings, specific diagnosis of other ovarian masses is difficult based on US alone. In such cases, categorization as a unilocular, unilocular solid, multilocular, multilocular solid, or solid mass and assessment of the solid component in the mass is important for discrimination between benign and malignant masses.