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Objective: To assess the impact of photoacoustic imaging (PAI) on the assessment of ovarian/adnexal lesion(s) of different risk categories using the sonographic ovarian‐adnexal imaging‐reporting‐data system (O‐RADS) in women undergoing planned oophorectomy. Method: This prospective study enrolled women with ovarian/adnexal lesion(s) suggestive of malignancy referred for oophorectomy. Participants underwent clinical ultrasound (US) examination followed by coregistered US and PAI prior to oophorectomy. Each ovarian/adnexal lesion was graded by two radiologists using the US O‐RADS scale. PAI was used to compute relative total hemoglobin concentration (rHbT) and blood oxygenation saturation (%sO2) colormaps in the region of interest. Lesions were categorized by histopathology into malignant ovarian/adnexal lesion, malignant Fallopian tube only and several benign categories, in order to assess the impact of incorporating PAI in the assessment of risk of malignancy with O‐RADS. Malignant and benign histologic groups were compared with respect to rHbT and %sO2 and logistic regression models were developed based on tumor marker CA125 alone, US‐based O‐RADS alone, PAI‐based rHbT with %sO2, and the combination of CA125, O‐RADS, rHbT and %sO2. Areas under the receiver‐operating‐characteristics curve (AUC) were used to compare the diagnostic performance of the models. Results: There were 93 lesions identified on imaging among 68 women (mean age, 52 (range, 21–79) years). Surgical pathology revealed 14 patients with malignant ovarian/adnexal lesion, two with malignant Fallopian tube only and 52 with benign findings. rHbT was significantly higher in malignant compared with benign lesions. %sO2 was lower in malignant lesions, but the difference was not statistically significant for all benign categories. Feature analysis revealed that rHbT, CA125, O‐RADS and %sO2 were the most important predictors of malignancy. Logistic regression models revealed an AUC of 0.789 (95% CI, 0.626–0.953) for CA125 alone, AUC of 0.857 (95% CI, 0.733–0.981) for O‐RADS only, AUC of 0.883 (95% CI, 0.760–1) for CA125 and O‐RADS and an AUC of 0.900 (95% CI, 0.815–0.985) for rHbT and %sO2 in the prediction of malignancy. A model utilizing all four predictors (CA125, O‐RADS, rHbT and %sO2) achieved superior performance, with an AUC of 0.970 (95% CI, 0.932–1), sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 82%. Conclusions: Incorporating the additional information provided by PAI‐derived rHbT and %sO2 improves significantly the performance of US‐based O‐RADS in the diagnosis of adnexal lesions. © 2023 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of different ultrasound signs for diagnosing adnexal torsion, using surgery as the reference standard. Methods: This was a systematic review and meta‐analysis of studies published between January 1990 and November 2021 evaluating ovarian edema, adnexal mass, ovarian Doppler flow findings, the whirlpool sign and pelvic fluid as ultrasound signs (index tests) for detecting adnexal torsion, using surgical findings as the reference standard. The search for studies was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, The Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov and Web of Science databases. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies‐2 (QUADAS‐2) tool was used to evaluate the quality of the studies. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios were calculated separately, and the post‐test probability of adnexal torsion following a positive or negative test was also determined. Results: The search identified 1267 citations after excluding duplicates. Eighteen studies were ultimately included in the qualitative and quantitative syntheses. Eight studies (809 patients) analyzed the presence of ovarian edema, eight studies (1044 patients) analyzed the presence of an adnexal mass, 14 studies (1742 patients) analyzed ovarian Doppler flow, six studies (545 patients) analyzed the whirlpool sign and seven studies (981 patients) analyzed the presence of pelvic fluid as ultrasound signs of adnexal torsion. Overall, the quality of most studies was considered to be moderate or good. However, there was a high risk of bias in the patient‐selection and index‐text domains (with the exception of the whirlpool sign) in a significant proportion of studies. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios of each ultrasound sign were 58%, 86%, 4.0 and 0.49 for ovarian edema, 69%, 46%, 1.3 and 0.67 for adnexal mass, 65%, 91%, 7.6 and 0.38 for the whirlpool sign, 53%, 95%, 11.0 and 0.49 for ovarian Doppler findings and 55%, 69%, 1.7 and 0.66 for pelvic fluid. Heterogeneity was high for all analyses. Conclusions: The presence of an adnexal mass or pelvic fluid have poor diagnostic accuracy as ultrasound signs of adnexal torsion, while the presence of ovarian edema, the whirlpool sign and decreased or absent ovarian Doppler flow have good specificity but moderate sensitivity for detecting adnexal torsion. © 2022 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. A video abstract of this article is available online here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Previous work has suggested that the ultrasound‐based benign simple descriptors (BDs) can reliably exclude malignancy in a large proportion of women presenting with an adnexal mass. This study aimed to validate a modified version of the BDs and to validate a two‐step strategy to estimate the risk of malignancy, in which the modified BDs are followed by the Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the adneXa (ADNEX) model if modified BDs do not apply. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis using data from the 2‐year interim analysis of the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) Phase‐5 study, in which consecutive patients with at least one adnexal mass were recruited irrespective of subsequent management (conservative or surgery). The main outcome was classification of tumors as benign or malignant, based on histology or on clinical and ultrasound information during 1 year of follow‐up. Multiple imputation was used when outcome based on follow‐up was uncertain according to predefined criteria. Results: A total of 8519 patients were recruited at 36 centers between 2012 and 2015. We excluded patients who were already in follow‐up at recruitment and all patients from 19 centers that did not fulfil our criteria for good‐quality surgical and follow‐up data, leaving 4905 patients across 17 centers for statistical analysis. Overall, 3441 (70%) tumors were benign, 978 (20%) malignant and 486 (10%) uncertain. The modified BDs were applicable in 1798/4905 (37%) tumors, of which 1786 (99.3%) were benign. The two‐step strategy based on ADNEX without CA125 had an area under the receiver‐operating‐characteristics curve (AUC) of 0.94 (95% CI, 0.92–0.96). The risk of malignancy was slightly underestimated, but calibration varied between centers. A sensitivity analysis in which we expanded the definition of uncertain outcome resulted in 1419 (29%) tumors with uncertain outcome and an AUC of the two‐step strategy without CA125 of 0.93 (95% CI, 0.91–0.95). Conclusion: A large proportion of adnexal masses can be classified as benign by the modified BDs. For the remaining masses, the ADNEX model can be used to estimate the risk of malignancy. This two‐step strategy is convenient for clinical use. © 2022 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Linked article: There is a comment on this article by Jurkovic. Click here to view the Editorial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To apply the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) Simple Rules (SR), the IOTA Simple Rules risk assessment (SRR), the IOTA Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the adneXa (ADNEX) model and the Ovarian‐Adnexal Reporting and Data System (O‐RADS) in the same cohort of North American patients and to compare their performance in preoperative discrimination between benign and malignant adnexal lesions. Methods: This was a single‐center diagnostic accuracy study, performed between March 2018 and February 2021, which included 150 women with an adnexal lesion. Using the ADNEX model, lesions were classified prospectively, whereas the SR, SRR assessment and O‐RADS were applied retrospectively. Surgery with histological analysis was performed within 6 months of the ultrasound exam. Sensitivity and specificity were determined for each testing modality and the performance of the different modalities was compared. Results: Of the 150 women, 110 (73.3%) had a benign ovarian tumor and 40 (26.7%) had a malignant tumor. The mean risk of malignancy generated by the ADNEX model without CA 125 was significantly higher in malignant vs benign lesions (63.3% vs 11.8%) and the area under the receiver‐operating‐characteristics curve (AUC) of the ADNEX model for differentiating between benign and malignant adnexal masses at the time of ultrasound examination was 0.937. The mean risk of malignancy generated by SRR assessment was also significantly higher in malignant vs benign lesions (74.1% vs 15.9%) and the AUC was 0.941. To compare the ADNEX model, SRR assessment and O‐RADS, the malignancy risk threshold was set at ≥ 10%. This cut‐off differentiates O‐RADS low‐risk categories (Category ≤ 3) from intermediate‐to‐high‐risk categories (Categories 4 and 5). At this cut‐off, the sensitivity of the ADNEX model was 97.5% (95% CI, 85.3%–99.9%) and the specificity was 63.6% (95% CI, 53.9%–72.4%), and, for the SRR model, the sensitivity was 100% (95% CI, 89.1%–100%) and the specificity was 51.8% (95% CI, 42.1%–61.4%). In the 113 cases to which the SR could be applied, the sensitivity was 100% (95% CI, 81.5%–100%) and the specificity was 95.6% (95% CI, 88.5%–98.6%). If the remaining 37 cases, which were inconclusive under SR, were designated 'malignant', the sensitivity remained at 100% but the specificity was reduced to 79.1% (95% CI, 70.1%–86.0%). The 150 cases fell into the following O‐RADS categories: 17 (11.3%) lesions in Category 2, 34 (22.7%) in Category 3, 66 (44.0%) in Category 4 and 33 (22.0%) in Category 5. There were no histologically proven malignant lesions in Category 2 or 3. There were 14 malignant lesions in Category 4 and 26 in Category 5. The sensitivity of O‐RADS using a malignancy risk threshold of ≥ 10% was 100% (95% CI, 89.1%–100.0%) and the specificity was 46.4% (95% CI, 36.9%–56.1%). Conclusions: When IOTA terms and techniques are used, the performance of IOTA models in a North American patient population is in line with published IOTA results in other populations. The IOTA SR, SRR assessment and ADNEX model and O‐RADS have similar sensitivity in the preoperative discrimination of malignant from benign pelvic tumors; however, the IOTA models have higher specificity and the algorithm does not require the use of magnetic resonance imaging. © 2022 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linked article: This Editorial comments on Landolfo et al.. Click here to view the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To validate prospectively the ADNEX magnetic resonance (MR) scoring system to assess adnexal masses and to evaluate a new, modified ADNEX MR scoring system that incorporates diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mapping.Methods: Between January 2015 and September 2018, 323 consecutive women with adnexal masses diagnosed on transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) underwent standardized MR imaging (MRI) including diffusion and dynamic contrast-enhanced sequences. Of these, 131 underwent subsequent surgery. For interpretation of the MRI examinations, we applied the five-category ADNEX MR scoring system, along with a modified scoring system including DWI with ADC mapping. For both scoring systems, a score was given for all adnexal masses. Histological diagnosis was considered as the gold standard and lesions were classified as benign or malignant. The difference between the predictive values for diagnosing malignancy of the classical and modified scoring systems was assessed on the basis of the areas under the receiver-operating-characteristics (AUC) curves. The sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing malignancy of each score were also calculated.Results: Among the 131 women with adnexal mass(es) diagnosed on TVS who underwent MRI and subsequent surgery, the surgery revealed 161 adnexal masses in 126 women; five women had no mass. Histological examination confirmed 161 adnexal masses, of which all had been detected on MRI: 32 malignant tumors, 15 borderline tumors, which were classified as part of the malignant group (n = 47), and 114 benign lesions. The AUC for prediction of a malignant lesion was 0.938 (95% CI, 0.902-0.975) using the classical ADNEX MR scoring system and 0.974 (95% CI, 0.953-0.996) using the modified scoring system. Pairwise comparison of these AUCs revealed a significant difference (P = 0.0032). The sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing malignancy with an ADNEX MR score of 4 or more were 95.5% and 86.6%, respectively, using the classic scoring system, and 95.7% and 93.3%, respectively, using the modified scoring system.Conclusion: DWI with ADC mapping could be integrated into the ADNEX MR scoring system to improve specificity, thereby potentially optimizing clinical management by avoiding unnecessary surgery. © 2020 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess whether vessel morphology depicted by three-dimensional (3D) power Doppler ultrasound improves discrimination between benignity and malignancy if used as a second-stage test in adnexal masses that are difficult to classify.Methods: This was a prospective observational international multicenter diagnostic accuracy study. Consecutive patients with an adnexal mass underwent standardized transvaginal two-dimensional (2D) grayscale and color or power Doppler and 3D power Doppler ultrasound examination by an experienced examiner, and those with a 'difficult' tumor were included in the current analysis. A difficult tumor was defined as one in which the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) logistic regression model-1 (LR-1) yielded an ambiguous result (risk of malignancy, 8.3% to 25.5%), or as one in which the ultrasound examiner was uncertain regarding classification as benign or malignant when using subjective assessment. Even when the ultrasound examiner was uncertain, he/she was obliged to classify the tumor as most probably benign or most probably malignant. For each difficult tumor, one researcher created a 360° rotating 3D power Doppler image of the vessel tree in the whole tumor and another of the vessel tree in a 5-cm3 spherical volume selected from the most vascularized part of the tumor. Two other researchers, blinded to the patient's history, 2D ultrasound findings and histological diagnosis, independently described the vessel tree using predetermined vessel features. Their agreed classification was used. The reference standard was the histological diagnosis of the mass. The sensitivity of each test for discriminating between benign and malignant difficult tumors was plotted against 1 - specificity on a receiver-operating-characteristics diagram, and the test with the point furthest from the reference line was considered to have the best diagnostic ability.Results: Of 2403 women with an adnexal mass, 376 (16%) had a difficult mass. Ultrasound volumes were available for 138 of these cases. In 79/138 masses, the ultrasound examiner was uncertain about the diagnosis based on subjective assessment, in 87/138, IOTA LR-1 yielded an ambiguous result and, in 28/138, both methods gave an uncertain result. Of the masses, 38/138 (28%) were malignant. Among tumors that were difficult to classify as benign or malignant by subjective assessment, the vessel feature 'densely packed vessels' had the best discriminative ability (sensitivity 67% (18/27), specificity 83% (43/52)) and was slightly superior to subjective assessment (sensitivity 74% (20/27), specificity 60% (31/52)). In tumors in which IOTA LR-1 yielded an ambiguous result, subjective assessment (sensitivity 82% (14/17), specificity 79% (55/70)) was superior to the best vascular feature, i.e. changes in the diameter of vessels in the whole tumor volume (sensitivity 71% (12/17), specificity 69% (48/70)).Conclusion: Vessel morphology depicted by 3D power Doppler ultrasound may slightly improve discrimination between benign and malignant adnexal tumors that are difficult to classify by subjective ultrasound assessment. For tumors in which the IOTA LR-1 model yields an ambiguous result, subjective assessment is superior to vessel morphology as a second-stage test. © 2020 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A massive machine with a large appendage greeted me when I first encountered ultrasound in 1977 as a first-year radiology resident at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. In the early 80s, a pelvic ultrasound examination required the patient to have a very full bladder in order to provide an acoustic window to the uterus and ovaries (Figure 1a). If the bladder was not sufficiently full, bowel gas artifacts filled the image and obscured the uterus, and if the bladder was overdistended, the pelvic organs would be flattened posteriorly, further limiting resolution. [Extracted from the article]

Objectives: To describe the clinical and ultrasound characteristics of adnexal torsion.Methods: This was a retrospective study. From the operative records of the eight participating gynecological ultrasound centers, we identified patients with a surgically confirmed diagnosis of adnexal torsion, defined as surgical evidence of ovarian pedicle, paraovarian cyst and/or Fallopian tube twisted on its own axis, who had undergone preoperative ultrasound examination by an experienced examiner, between 2008 and 2018. Only cases with at least two available ultrasound images and/or videoclips (one grayscale and one with Doppler evaluation) were included. Clinical, ultrasound, surgical and histological information was retrieved from each patient's medical record and entered into an Excel file by the principal investigator at each center. In addition, two authors reviewed all available ultrasound images and videoclips of the twisted adnexa, with regard to the presence of four predefined ultrasound features reported to be characteristic of adnexal torsion: (1) ovarian stromal edema with or without peripherally displaced antral follicles, (2) the follicular ring sign, (3) the whirlpool sign and (4) absence of vascularization in the twisted organ.Results: A total of 315 cases of adnexal torsion were identified. The median age of the patients was 30 (range, 1-88) years. Most patients were premenopausal (284/314; 90.4%) and presented with acute or subacute pelvic pain (305/315; 96.8%). The surgical approach was laparoscopic in 239/312 (76.6%) patients and conservative surgery (untwisting with or without excision of a lesion) was performed in 149/315 (47.3%) cases. According to the original ultrasound reports, the median largest diameter of the twisted organ was 83 (range, 30-349) mm. Free fluid in the pouch of Douglas was detected in 196/275 (71.3%) patients. Ovarian stromal edema with or without peripherally displaced antral follicles was reported in the original ultrasound report in 167/241 (69.3%) patients, the whirlpool sign in 178/226 (78.8%) patients, absent color Doppler signals in the twisted organ in 119/269 (44.2%) patients and the follicular ring sign in 51/134 (38.1%) patients. On retrospective review of images and videoclips, ovarian stromal edema with or without peripherally displaced antral follicles (201/254; 79.1%) and the whirlpool sign (139/153; 90.8%) were the most commonly detected features of adnexal torsion.Conclusion: Most patients with surgically confirmed adnexal torsion are of reproductive age and present with acute or subacute pain. Common ultrasound signs are an enlarged adnexa, the whirlpool sign, ovarian stromal edema with or without peripherally displaced antral follicles and free fluid in the pelvis. The follicular ring sign and absence of Doppler signals in the twisted organ are slightly less common signs. Recognizing ultrasound signs of adnexal torsion is important so that the correct treatment, i.e. surgery without delay, can be offered. Copyright © 2020 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I Gustavo Malinger i , Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology Ultrasound Division at Tel-Aviv Medical Center and Lis Maternity Hospital, in Tel Aviv, Israel, has a special interest in the fetal central nervous system and has coauthored nearly 150 articles, including ISUOG's Practice Guideline on fetal magnetic resonance imaging, books and chapters. He has organized and directed more than 40 courses and seminars on fetal brain imaging in 25 countries, and was a member of the team who put together the extremely popular ISUOG Fetal Brain Imaging Certificate course at the 29 SP th sp World Congress on Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology in Berlin. SP 1 sp I Gynecology and obstetrics, CHU Necker Enfants Malades, Paris, France; i SP 2 sp I Obstetrics, University Paris Descartes, Hopital Necker Enfants Malades, Paris, France i. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the adneXa (ADNEX) model in the preoperative diagnosis of adnexal masses using data from a gynecological oncology center in China.Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective diagnostic accuracy study based on ultrasound data collected prospectively, between May and December 2017, from 278 patients with at least one adnexal (ovarian, paraovarian or tubal) mass. Clinical and pathologic information, serum CA 125 level and ultrasonographic findings were collected. All patients underwent surgery and the histopathological diagnosis was used as reference standard. The final diagnosis was classified into five tumor types according to the ADNEX model: benign ovarian tumor, borderline ovarian tumor (BOT), Stage-I ovarian cancer (OC), Stages-II-IV OC and ovarian metastasis. Receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the ADNEX model, with and without inclusion of CA 125 level in the model.Results: Of the 278 women included, 203 (73.0%) had a benign ovarian tumor and 75 (27.0%) had a malignant ovarian tumor, including 18 (6.5%) with BOT, 17 (6.1%) with Stage-I OC, 32 (11.5%) with Stages-II-IV OC and eight (2.9%) with ovarian metastasis. The performance of the IOTA ADNEX model was good for discriminating between benign and malignant tumors, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.94 (95% CI, 0.91-0.97) when CA 125 was included in the model and AUC of 0.93 (95% CI, 0.90-0.96) without CA 125. The AUC values of the model including CA 125 ranged between 0.61 and 0.99 for distinguishing between the different types of tumor, and it showed excellent performance in discriminating between a benign ovarian tumor and Stages-II-IV OC, with an AUC of 0.99 (95% CI, 0.97-1.00). The performance of the model was less effective at distinguishing between BOT and Stage-I OC and between Stages-II-IV OC and ovarian metastasis, with AUC values of 0.61 (95% CI, 0.43-0.77) and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.62-0.90), respectively. Although inclusion of CA 125 did not alter the performance of the ADNEX model in discriminating between benign and malignant lesions (AUC of 0.94 and 0.93 with and without CA 125 level, respectively; P = 0.54), the inclusion of CA 125 in the model improved its performance in discriminating between Stage-I OC and Stages-II-IV OC (AUC increased from 0.81 to 0.92; P = 0.04) and between Stages-II-IV OC and metastatic cancer (AUC increased from 0.58 to 0.78; P = 0.01).Conclusions: The IOTA ADNEX model showed good to excellent performance in distinguishing between benign and malignant adnexal masses and between the different types of ovarian tumor in a Chinese setting. Based on our findings, the ADNEX model has high value in clinical practice and can aid in the preoperative diagnosis of patients with an adnexal mass. Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One guaranteed method to overcome the gaps in endometriosis care is to optimize two-way communication between gynecological surgeons and the other main gatekeepers to diagnosing endometriosis: diagnostic imaging experts and pathologists. In the field of endometriosis, developing tools that could automatically provide feedback on histopathology outcomes could not only help diagnostic imaging experts to increase their accuracy in the diagnosis of endometriosis, but also encourage a movement to a gold-standard non-invasive diagnosis of endometriosis, without the need to conduct a laparoscopy. In endometriosis, it is becoming increasingly clear how important imaging is to advancing the potential to provide an accurate non-invasive diagnosis1,2, understanding severity preoperatively3, triaging patients to an appropriately trained surgeon4 and guiding surgical decisions to optimize outcome and mitigate complications. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: To describe and evaluate the utility of a new sonographic microcystic pattern, which is typical of borderline ovarian tumor (BOT) papillary projections, solid component(s) and/or septa, as a new ultrasound marker that is capable of distinguishing BOT from other adnexal masses, and to present/obtain histologic confirmation.Methods: In this retrospective study, we identified women with a histologic diagnosis of BOT following surgical resection who had undergone preoperative transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) examination. All images were reviewed for presence or absence of thin-walled, fluid-filled cluster(s) of 1-3-mm cystic formations, associated with solid component(s), papillary projections and/or septa. From the same cases, histopathologic slides of each BOT were examined for presence of any of these microcystic features which had been identified on TVS. To confirm that the microcystic TVS pattern is unique to BOTs, we also selected randomly from our ultrasound and surgical database 20 cases of epithelial ovarian cancer and 20 cases of benign cystadenoma, for review by the same pathologists. To confirm the novelty of our findings, we searched PubMed for literature published in the English language between 2010 and 2018 to determine whether the association between microcystic tissue pattern and BOT has been described previously.Results: Included in the final analysis were 62 patients (67 ovaries) with preoperative TVS and surgically confirmed BOT on pathologic examination. The mean patient age at surgery was 39.8 years. The mean BOT size at TVS was 60.7 mm. Of the 67 BOTs, 47 (70.1%) were serous, 15 (22.4%) were mucinous and five (7.5%) were seromucinous. We observed on TVS a microcystic pattern in the papillary projections, solid component(s) and/or septa in 60 (89.6%) of the 67 BOTs, including 46 (97.9%) of the 47 serous BOTs, 11 (73.3%) of the 15 mucinous BOTs and three (60.0%) of the five seromucinous BOTs. On microscopic evaluation, 60 (89.6%) of the 67 samples had characteristic 1-3-mm fluid-filled cysts similar to those seen on TVS. In seven cases there was a discrepancy between sonographic and histologic observation of a microcystic pattern. The 20 cystadenomas were mostly unilocular and/or multilocular and largely avascular. None of them or the 20 epithelial ovarian malignancies displayed microcystic characteristics, either on TVS or at histology. On review of 23 published articles in the English medical literature, containing 163 sonographic images of BOT, we found that, while all images contained it, there was no description of the microcystic tissue pattern.Conclusion: We report herein a novel sonographic marker of BOT, a 'microcystic pattern' of BOT papillary projections, solid component(s) and/or septa. This was seen in the majority of both serous and mucinous BOT cases. Importantly, based on comparison of sonographic images and histopathology of benign entities and malignancies, the microcystic appearance seems to be unique to BOTs. No similar description has been published previously. Utilization of this new marker should help to identify BOT correctly, discriminating it from ovarian cancer and benign ovarian pathology, and should ensure appropriate clinical and surgical management. Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To perform an external validation of the diagnostic performance of the three-step strategy proposed by the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) group for classifying adnexal masses as benign or malignant, when ultrasound is performed by non-expert sonographers in the first two steps. The second objective was to assess the diagnostic performance of an alternative strategy using simple-rules risk (SRR), instead of simple rules (SR), in the second step.Methods: This was a prospective observational study conducted at two university hospitals, from September 2015 to August 2017, of consecutive patients diagnosed with an adnexal mass. All women were evaluated by ultrasound using the IOTA three-step strategy. Non-expert sonographers performed the first step (use of simple descriptors to classify the masses) and the second step (use of SR if the mass could not be classified in the first step); masses that could not be classified in the first two steps were categorized by an expert sonographer based on their subjective assessment (third step). The reference standard was histological diagnosis in patients who underwent surgery or at least 12 months of follow-up in cases managed expectantly. The sensitivity, specificity, positive (LR+) and negative (LR-) likelihood ratios and overall accuracy of the IOTA three-step strategy were estimated. Furthermore, we evaluated retrospectively an alternative two-step strategy using SRR in the second step to categorize the masses not classifiable with simple descriptors, classifying the lesions as being of low, intermediate or high risk for malignancy. The diagnostic performance of this strategy was estimated by calculating its sensitivity and specificity, assuming surgical intervention for intermediate- or high-risk lesions.Results: The study included 283 patients (median age, 48 (range, 18-90) years), of whom 165 (58.3%) were premenopausal and 118 (41.7%) postmenopausal. Two hundred and sixteen (76.3%) women underwent surgery (154 benign and 62 malignant masses) and 67 (23.7%) were managed expectantly with serial ultrasound follow-up for at least 12 months. All expectantly managed masses were considered benign because no sonographic changes suggestive of malignancy were observed during follow-up. Simple descriptors could be applied in 126 (44.5%) masses. Of the remaining 157 lesions, 112 (39.6%) could be characterized using SR. Therefore, 238 (84.1%) masses could be classified by non-expert sonographers in the first two steps. Of the remaining 45 (15.9%) masses, all could be classified by an expert sonographer. Overall sensitivity, specificity, LR+ and LR- of the IOTA three-step strategy were 95.2%, 97.7%, 42.1 and 0.05, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy was 97.2%. Following the two-step strategy using SRR in the second step, of the 157 lesions not classified with simple descriptors, 42, 38 and 77 presented low, intermediate or high risk for malignancy, respectively. Based on this method, 210 women would have undergone surgical treatment. The sensitivity and specificity of this two-step strategy were 98.4% and 63.8%, respectively.Conclusions: The IOTA three-step strategy shows high accuracy for discriminating between benign and malignant adnexal lesions when used by non-expert sonographers. An alternative strategy using the SRR calculator in the second step might improve on this diagnostic performance by decreasing the number of surgical interventions and increasing sensitivity. Copyright © 2018 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(d,e) Second scan showed multilocular-solid mass of 127 × 77 × 107 mm, with low-level echogenicity of cyst content and irregular solid component (d), which had moderate vascularization (color score, 3) on color Doppler (e). gl GLO:F0Y/01may20:uog21875-fig-0002.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): Histological examination of endometrioid borderline tumor arising from endometriotic cyst. GRAPH: Videoclip S1 Grayscale and color Doppler ultrasound imaging of endometrioid borderline ovarian tumor arising from endometriotic cyst at second scan, showing multilocular-solid cyst with low-level echogenicity of content and irregular vascularized solid component. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: To determine whether International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) logistic regression models LR1 and LR2 developed for the preoperative diagnosis of ovarian cancer could also be used to differentiate between benign and malignant adnexal tumors in the population of women attending gynecology outpatient clinics. Methods: This was a single‐center prospective observational study of consecutive women attending our gynecological diagnostic outpatient unit, recruited between May 2009 and January 2012. All the women were first examined by a Level‐II ultrasound operator. In those diagnosed with adnexal tumors, the IOTA‐LR1/2 protocol was used to evaluate the masses. The LR1 and LR2 models were then used to assess the risk of malignancy. Subsequently, the women were also examined by a Level‐III examiner, who used pattern recognition to differentiate between benign and malignant tumors. Women with an ultrasound diagnosis of malignancy were offered surgery, while asymptomatic women with presumed benign lesions were offered conservative management with a minimum follow‐up of 12 months. The initial diagnosis was compared with two reference standards: histological findings and/or a comparative assessment of tumor morphology on follow‐up ultrasound scans. All women for whom the tumor classification on follow‐up changed from benign to malignant were offered surgery. Results: In the final analysis, 489 women who had either or both of the reference standards were included. Their mean age was 50 years (range, 16–91 years) and 45% were postmenopausal. Of the included women, 342/489 (69.9%) had surgery and 147/489 (30.1%) were managed conservatively. The malignancy rate was 137/489 (28.0%). Overall, sensitivities of LR1 and LR2 for the diagnosis of malignancy were 97.1% (95% CI, 92.7–99.2%) and 94.9% (95% CI, 89.8–97.9%) and specificities were 77.3% (95% CI, 72.5–81.5%) and 76.7% (95% CI, 71.9–81.0%), respectively (P > 0.05). In comparison with pattern recognition (sensitivity 94.2% (95% CI, 88.8–97.4%), specificity 96.3% (95% CI, 93.8–98.0%)), the specificities of the IOTA models were significantly lower (P < 0.0001). A significantly higher number of women would have been offered surgery for suspected cancer if the women had been assessed using the IOTA models instead of pattern recognition (213/489 (43.6%) vs 142/489 (29.0%); P < 0.001). Conclusions: The IOTA models maintained their high sensitivity when used in an outpatient setting. Specificity was relatively low, which indicates that a significant proportion of the women would have been offered unnecessary surgery for suspected ovarian cancer. These findings show that the IOTA models could be used as a first‐stage test to diagnose ovarian cancer in an outpatient setting, but a different second‐stage test is required to minimize the number of false‐positive findings. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To describe the ultrasound characteristics, indications for surgery and histological diagnoses of surgically removed adnexal masses with a largest diameter of ≤ 2.5 cm (very small tumors), to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis of malignancy by subjective assessment of ultrasound images of very small tumors and to present a collection of ultrasound images of surgically removed very small tumors, with emphasis on those causing diagnostic difficulty.Methods: Information on surgically removed adnexal tumors with a largest diameter of ≤ 2.5 cm was retrieved from the ultrasound databases of seven participating centers. The ultrasound images were described using the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis terminology. The original diagnosis, based on subjective assessment of the ultrasound images by the ultrasound examiner, was used to calculate the sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis of malignancy.Results: Of the 129 identified adnexal masses with largest diameter ≤ 2.5 cm, 104 (81%) were benign, 15 (12%) borderline malignant and 10 (8%) invasive tumors. The main indication for performing surgery was suspicion of malignancy in 22% (23/104) of the benign tumors and in all 25 malignant tumors. None of the malignant tumors was a unilocular cyst (vs 50% of the benign tumors), all malignancies contained solid components (vs 43% of the benign tumors), 80% of the borderline tumors had papillary projections (vs 21% of the benign tumors and 20% of the invasive malignancies) and all invasive tumors and 80% of the borderline tumors were vascularized on color/power Doppler examination (vs 44% of the benign tumors). The ovarian crescent sign was present in 85% of the benign tumors, 80% of the borderline tumors and 50% of the invasive malignancies. The sensitivity of diagnosis of malignancy by subjective assessment of ultrasound images was 100% (25/25) and the specificity was 86% (89/104). Excluding unilocular cysts, the specificity was 71% (37/52). Analysis of images illustrated the difficulty in distinguishing benign from borderline very small cysts with papillations and benign from malignant very small well vascularized (color score 3 or 4) solid adnexal tumors.Conclusions: Very small malignant tumors manifest generally accepted ultrasound signs of malignancy. Small unilocular cysts are usually benign, while small non-unilocular masses, particularly ones with solid components, incur a risk of malignancy and pose a clinical dilemma. © 2016 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Transvaginal sonography (TVS) and serum biomarkers are used widely in clinical practice to triage women with adnexal masses, but the effectiveness of current biomarkers is weak. The aim of this study was to determine the best method of diagnosing patients with adnexal masses, in terms of diagnostic accuracy and economic costs, among four triage strategies: (1) the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis group's simple rules (SR) for interpretation of TVS with subjective assessment (SA) by an experienced ultrasound operator when TVS results are inconclusive (referred to hereafter as SR ± SA), (2) SR ± SA and cancer antigen 125 (CA 125), (3) SR ± SA and human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) and (4) SR ± SA and the risk of malignancy algorithm (ROMA). Our main hypothesis was that the addition of the biomarkers to SR ± SA could improve triaging of these patients in terms of diagnostic accuracy (i.e. malignant vs benign). As secondary analyses, we estimated the cost effectiveness of the four strategies and the diagnostic accuracy of SR ± SA at the study hospitals.Methods: Between February 2013 and January 2015, 447 consecutive patients who were scheduled for surgery for an adnexal mass at the S. Anna and Mauriziano Hospitals in Turin were enrolled in this multicenter prospective cohort study. Preoperative TVS was performed and preoperative CA 125 and HE4 levels were measured. Pathology reports were used to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the four triage strategies and the cost of each strategy was calculated.Results: A total of 391 patients were included in the analysis: 57% (n = 221) were premenopausal and 43% (n = 170) were postmenopausal. The overall prevalence of malignancy was 21%. SR were conclusive in 89% of patients and thus did not require SA; the overall performance of SR ± SA showed a sensitivity of 82%, specificity of 92% and positive and negative predictive values and positive and negative likelihood ratios of 74%, 95%, 10.5 and 0.19, respectively. In premenopausal women, mean cost among the four triage strategies varied from €36.41 for SR ± SA to €70.12 for SR ± SA + ROMA. The addition of biomarkers to SR ± SA showed no diagnostic advantage compared with SR ± SA alone and was more costly. Among postmenopausal women, mean cost among the four triage strategies varied from €39.52 for SR ± SA to €73.23 for SR ± SA + ROMA. Among these women, SR ± SA + CA 125 and SR ± SA + ROMA had a higher sensitivity (both 92% (95% CI, 85-99%)) than SR ± SA (81% (95% CI, 71-91%)), but SR ± SA had a higher specificity (84% (95% CI, 77-91%)). SR ± SA + CA 125 and SR ± SA + ROMA improved diagnostic accuracy, each diagnosing a third more malignant adnexal masses. In postmenopausal women, compared with SR ± SA alone, SR ± SA + CA 125 showed a net reclassification improvement (NRI) of 28.8% at an extra cost of €13.00, while the extra cost for SR ± SA + ROMA was €33.71, with a comparable gain, in terms of NRI, as that of SR ± SA + CA 125.Conclusions: In our study sample, SR ± SA seems to be the best strategy to triage women with adnexal masses for surgical management. Among postmenopausal women, SR ± SA + CA 125 increased the NRI at a reasonable extra cost. Our data do not justify the use of HE4 and ROMA in the initial triage of women with adnexal masses. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the performance of the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) ADNEX model in the preoperative discrimination between benign ovarian (including tubal and para-ovarian) tumors, borderline ovarian tumors (BOT), Stage I ovarian cancer (OC), Stage II-IV OC and ovarian metastasis in a gynecological oncology center in Brazil.Methods: This was a diagnostic accuracy study including 131 women with an adnexal mass invited to participate between February 2014 and November 2015. Before surgery, pelvic ultrasound examination was performed and serum levels of tumor marker CA 125 were measured in all women. Adnexal masses were classified according to the IOTA ADNEX model. Histopathological diagnosis was the gold standard. Receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the model to classify tumors into different histological types.Results: Of 131 women, 63 (48.1%) had a benign ovarian tumor, 16 (12.2%) had a BOT, 17 (13.0%) had Stage I OC, 24 (18.3%) had Stage II-IV OC and 11 (8.4%) had ovarian metastasis. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.92 (95% CI, 0.88-0.97) for the basic discrimination between benign vs malignant tumors using the IOTA ADNEX model. Performance was high for the discrimination between benign vs Stage II-IV OC, BOT vs Stage II-IV OC and Stage I OC vs Stage II-IV OC, with AUCs of 0.99, 0.97 and 0.94, respectively. Performance was poor for the differentiation between BOT vs Stage I OC and between Stage I OC vs ovarian metastasis with AUCs of 0.64.Conclusion: The majority of adnexal masses in our study were classified correctly using the IOTA ADNEX model. On the basis of our findings, we would expect the model to aid in the management of women with an adnexal mass presenting to a gynecological oncology center. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To validate externally the performance of the Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the adneXa (ADNEX) model and compare this model with other frequently used models in the differentiation between benign and malignant adnexal masses.Methods: In this retrospective diagnostic accuracy study, we assessed data collected prospectively from patients with adnexal pathology who underwent real-time transvaginal or transrectal ultrasound by a single expert ultrasonographer in a tertiary care hospital between July 2011 and July 2015. The presence of a malignancy was determined by subjective assessment and use of four prediction models: the ADNEX model, simple ultrasound-based rules (simple rules), Logistic Regression model 2 (LR2) and the Risk of Malignancy Index (RMI), of which three different variants were assessed. Pathology was the clinical reference standard.Results: In total, 851 consecutive patients underwent ultrasound examination for an adnexal mass. For 326 patients (128 premenopausal and 198 postmenopausal), pathology results were available (211 (64.7%) benign; 115 (35.3%) malignant) and these were included in the analysis. The area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve (AUC) of the ADNEX model for the discrimination between benign and malignant tumors was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.89-0.95). AUCs for the subtypes of malignancy (i.e. borderline, Stage I-IV and metastatic adnexal tumors) ranged between 0.60 and 0.90. Only subjective assessment (AUC, 0.96 (95% CI, 0.93-0.98)) was superior to the ADNEX model (P = 0.01) in differentiating malignant from benign tumors. AUCs for the other models were 0.92 (95% CI, 0.89-0.95) for LR2, 0.85 (95% CI, 0.81-0.89) for RMI-I, 0.82 (95% CI, 0.77-0.86) for RMI-II and 0.84 (95% CI, 0.80-0.88) for RMI-III. At the proposed cut-off of ≥ 10%, the ADNEX model had the highest sensitivity (0.98 (95% CI, 0.93-1.00)) but the lowest specificity (0.62 (95% CI, 0.55-0.68)) compared with the other models. Both subjective assessment (sensitivity, 0.90 (95% CI, 0.83-0.95); specificity 0.91 (95% CI, 0.86-0.94)) and the simple rules model with inconclusive cases classified by subjective assessment (sensitivity, 0.89 (95% CI, 0.81-0.94); specificity, 0.90 (95% CI, 0.85-0.94)) had lower sensitivity, but their sensitivity and specificity were better balanced.Conclusions: Although the test performance of subjective assessment by an expert remains superior, the ADNEX model can help in the differentiation between benign and malignant ovarian tumors. The advantage of the ADNEX model as a polytomous model remains to be shown. © 2016 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the diagnostic performance of a three-step strategy proposed by the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) Group for discriminating between benign and malignant adnexal masses.Methods: This was a prospective observational study, performed at two tertiary-care university hospitals, of women diagnosed with an adnexal mass on transvaginal or transabdominal ultrasound between December 2012 and December 2014. Women were scheduled for an ultrasound evaluation, which was initially performed by non-expert examiners. The examiner had to classify the mass using 'simple descriptors' (first step) and, if not possible, using 'simple rules' (second step). For inconclusive masses, an expert examiner classified the mass according to their subjective impression (third step). Masses were managed expectantly, with serial follow-up examinations, or surgically, according to ultrasound findings and clinical symptoms. Histology was used as the reference standard. Masses that were managed expectantly with at least 1 year of follow-up were considered as benign for analytical purposes. Women with less than 1 year of follow-up were not included in the study.Results: Six hundred and sixty-six women were included (median age, 41 (range, 18-81) years) of whom 514 were premenopausal and 152 were postmenopausal. Based on the three-step strategy, 362 women had surgical removal of the mass (53 malignant and 309 benign), 71 masses resolved spontaneously and 233 persisted. Four hundred and forty-eight (67.3%) of 666 masses could be classified using simple descriptors and, of the 218 that could not, 147 (67.4%) were classified using simple rules. Of the remaining 71 masses, the expert examiner classified 45 as benign, 12 as malignant and 14 as uncertain. Overall sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio of the three-step strategy were 94.3%, 94.9%, 18.6 and 0.06, respectively.Conclusion: The IOTA three-step strategy, based on the sequential use of simple descriptors, simple rules and expert evaluation, performs well for classifying adnexal masses as benign or malignant. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To compare subjective ultrasound assessment and the ADNEX model with ultrasound-guided tru-cut biopsy to differentiate disseminated primary ovarian cancer from metastatic non-ovarian cancer.Methods: This was a prospective study including 143 consecutive women with disseminated malignancy of unknown primary origin, with a pelvic tumor/carcinosis. Women underwent either transvaginal or transrectal ultrasound as well as transabdominal ultrasound examination followed by tru-cut biopsy. The ultrasound examiner assessed tumor morphology, spread in the pelvis and abdomen, and predicted tumor origin as primary ovarian or metastatic using both subjective assessment and the ADNEX model. Histology from tru-cut biopsy served as the gold standard for assessment of diagnostic accuracy. Biopsy adequacy and the complication rate were assessed.Results: Tru-cut biopsy was performed transvaginally in 131/143 (92%) women. Two women needed inpatient care (one had abdominal wall hematoma, and one infection). Biopsy resulted in a conclusive diagnosis in 126/143 (88%) women, amongst whom cytoreductive surgery was performed in 30/126 confirming the diagnosis in all cases. Non-ovarian metastatic cancer was found in 37/126 (29%) women and primary ovarian cancer in 89/126 (71%) women. Subjective ultrasound evaluation had a sensitivity of 82% (73/89) and a specificity of 70% (26/37) in predicting primary ovarian cancer. The ADNEX model had an area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve of 0.891 (95% CI, 0.794-0.946) (in women with an ovarian lesion, n = 104). Tumor origin was associated with age, CA 125, previous neoplasia, presence of omental cake and tumor mobility.Conclusions: Subjective ultrasound assessment and the ADNEX model can both be used to predict whether a pelvic tumor is metastatic and of non-ovarian origin, indicating the need for tru-cut biopsy, which is associated with very few complications and will provide a conclusive diagnosis in nine out of 10 women. Copyright © 2015 ISUOG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine the accuracy of ultrasound in the diagnosis of a tubal ectopic pregnancy in the absence of an obvious extrauterine embryo.Methods: This was a systematic review conducted in accordance with the PRISMA statement and registered with PROSPERO. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and The Cochrane Library for relevant citations from database inception to July 2014. Studies were selected in a two-stage process and their data extracted by two reviewers. Accuracy measures were calculated for each ultrasound sign, i.e. empty uterus, pseudosac, adnexal mass and free fluid in the pouch of Douglas, alone and in various combinations. Individual study estimates were plotted in summary receiver-operating characteristics curves and forest plots for examination of heterogeneity. The quality of included studies was assessed.Results: Thirty-one studies including 5858 women were selected from 19,959 citations. Following meta-analysis, an empty uterus on ultrasound was found to predict an ectopic pregnancy with a sensitivity of 81.1% (95% CI, 42.1-96.2%) and specificity of 79.5% (95% CI, 68.9-87.1%). The corresponding performance of the pseudosac, adnexal mass and free fluid were: 5.5% (95% CI, 3.3-9.0%) and 94.2% (95% CI, 75.9-98.8%); 63.5% (95% CI, 48.5-76.3%) and 91.4% (95% CI, 83.6-95.7%); and 47.2% (95% CI, 33.2-61.7%) and 92.3% (95% CI, 85.6-96.0%), respectively.Conclusion: Visualization of an empty uterus, adnexal mass, free fluid or a pseudosac has poor sensitivity for the diagnosis of a tubal pregnancy when an obvious extrauterine embryo is absent, but it has good specificity. We can therefore infer that ultrasound is more useful for 'ruling in' a tubal pregnancy than 'ruling out' one. However, the findings were limited by the poor quality of some included studies and heterogeneity in the index test and reference standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our case, we believe that an accurate ultrasound examination before the administration of progesterone therapy, showing an endometriotic ovarian cyst, would have helped us consider the diagnosis of decidualized endometrioma. The examiner classified this cyst as probably malignant, and the suspected diagnosis was endometrioid borderline ovarian tumor4,5. To our surprise, the histological diagnosis was ovarian endometrioma with an edematous intracystic vegetative component, showing mucinous and squamous metaplasia, and stroma with features of pseudodecidualization with diffuse eosinophilia (Figure 2). [Extracted from the article]

It is a subtype of ovarian stromal neoplasm of sex chord-stromal origin that has distinctive clinical and pathological features, which differ from those of other stromal tumours. Histological diagnosis revealed a stromal sclerosing tumour of the ovary. Sclerosing stromal tumour (SST) is an extremely rare benign ovarian neoplasm. [Extracted from the article]

The second transvaginal ultrasound examination, performed when the patient was asymptomatic, showed normal right ovarian parenchyma (c) and a small left ovary with a ribbon-like appearance (d). Transvaginal ultrasound examination showed an enlarged right ovary with stromal edema and peripherally displaced antral follicles, corpus luteum within the parenchyma (Figure 1e) and free fluid in the pelvis. [Extracted from the article]

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the contribution of three-dimensional ( 3D) power Doppler angiography ( 3D-PDA) to the differential diagnosis of adnexal masses. Methods This was a prospective study in women diagnosed with a persistent adnexal mass and subsequently scheduled for surgery in a tertiary university hospital. All women were evaluated by transvaginal/transrectal ultrasound according to a predetermined three-step protocol, with transabdominal ultrasound being performed in some cases. First, morphological evaluation of the mass was performed using gray-scale 'pattern recognition' (first step). Lesions diagnosed as having a benign pattern were considered as being at low risk of malignancy whereas tumors with solid components, ascites and/or signs of carcinomatosis were considered as being at high risk of malignancy. In both cases no further test was performed and a decision regarding clinical management, either for follow-up or surgery, was taken. Tumors with solid components but without signs of ascites or carcinomatosis were considered as being at intermediate risk of malignancy. These lesions were assessed by two-dimensional ( 2D) PDA to evaluate tumor vascularity (color score) (second step). Solid tumors with a color score of 1 or 2 were considered as benign and no further test was performed, while tumors with a color score of 2, 3 or 4 within solid components or a color score of 3 or 4 in the case of a solid tumor were considered as malignant. The latter group underwent 3D-PDA assessment (third step). Vascularization index ( VI) was calculated in a 1-mL sphere of the most vascularized area of the tumor. When a VI ≥ 24.015% was found, the tumor was considered as malignant. All masses were removed surgically and definitive histological diagnosis was used as the gold standard. Sensitivity and specificity for each strategy were calculated and compared. In the case of bilateral tumors, only the more suspicious one was used for analysis. Results A total of 367 adnexal masses diagnosed in 367 women (mean age, 46.5 (range, 18-80) years) were evaluated during the study period. Of these, 86 masses were malignant and 281 were benign. The sensitivity and specificity for each assessment strategy were as follows: one-step, 97.7% and 78.6%; two-step, 94.2% and 97.9% ( P < 0.001 for specificity when compared with that of one-step); three-step, 90.7% and 98.9% (not statistically significant when compared with that of two-step). Conclusions The addition of 2D-PDA in the differential diagnosis of an adnexal mass significantly increases specificity while sensitivity remains high; however performing subsequent 3D-PDA does not provide additional information or further improve diagnostic performance subsequent to 2D-PDA. Copyright © 2014 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objectives To assess the diagnostic performance of subjective assessment by Level II ultrasound examiners in predicting the specific histology of adnexal masses. Methods The women included in this prospective multicenter cross-sectional study were older than 16 years of age and had at least one adnexal mass. They underwent transvaginal sonography ( TVS) performed by Level II examiners, all of whom were familiar with the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis ( IOTA) group definitions of ultrasound features of ovarian masses. The final outcome was histology. Specific diagnoses were categorized into 16 groups. Agreement between subjective assessment and final histology was measured using unweighted kappa coefficients. Sensitivities and specificities were obtained for subjective assessment. Results Of the 1279 women who underwent TVS, 313 were included in the final analysis. Overall agreement (16 × 16 table) between subjective assessment and histology was moderate, with a Cohen's kappa coefficient of 0.59 (95% CI, 0.53-0.65). The specificity of subjective assessment ranged between 91% and 100% for all histological subgroups. Highest sensitivities were achieved in the diagnosis of simple cysts (100% (95% CI, 61-100%)), hydrosalpinges (100% (95% CI, 34-100%)), mature teratomas (88% (95% CI, 74-96%)), endometriomas (75% (95% CI, 61-85%)), ovarian fibromas (88% (95% CI, 47-100%)), tubo-ovarian abscesses (88% (95% CI, 47-100%)) and serous cystadenocarcinomas (82% (95% CI, 66-93%)). Serous cystadenomas were misdiagnosed most commonly (40.5%). The sensitivity of subjective assessment in diagnosing adnexal torsion was 54% (95% CI, 25-81%); the 17 confirmed and/or suspected cases of adnexal torsion were not included in the 313 cases examined and analyzed for diagnostic performance. Conclusion Overall, subjective assessment by Level II examiners was good for the detection of simple cysts, endometriomas, mature teratomas, hydrosalpinges, fibroma, tubo-ovarian abscess and serous cystadenocarcinomas. Copyright © 2014 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective To estimate the interobserver agreement between a trainer and trainees in assigning the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis ( IOTA) color score to adnexal masses using three-dimensional ( 3D) volumes and videoclips. Methods Fifty-one digital videoclips and 3D volumes of a non-consecutive series of adnexal masses were used for this study. One trainer and four trainees evaluated first the 3D volume and 1 week later a videoclip from the same mass. They had to assign IOTA color scores according to their impression of the amount of color content in each case. Interobserver agreement between trainer and trainees was assessed using Cohen's weighted kappa index with 95% CIs and percentage of agreement. Results When using 3D volumes, interobserver agreement was good for three out of four pairs of comparisons and very good for one (kappa values of 0.70, 0.68, 0.81 and 0.71 for trainees A, B, C and D, respectively). When using videoclips, interobserver agreement was very good for two out of four pairs of comparisons and good for two (kappa values of 0.84, 0.80, 0.68 and 0.86 for Trainees A, B, C and D, respectively). Conclusion Evaluation of IOTA color scores in adnexal masses using either videoclips or 3D volumes is reproducible even in the hands of trainees after a short training program. Copyright © 2014 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objectives To estimate intraobserver repeatability and interobserver agreement in assessing the presence of papillary projections in adnexal masses and in classifying adnexal masses using the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis terminology for ultrasound examiners with different levels of experience. We also aimed to identify ultrasound findings that cause confusion and might be interpreted differently by different observers, and to determine if repeatability and agreement change after consensus has been reached on how to interpret 'problematic' ultrasound images. Methods Digital clips (two to eight clips per adnexal mass) with gray-scale and color/power Doppler information of 83 adnexal masses in 80 patients were evaluated independently four times, twice before and twice after a consensus meeting, by four experienced and three less experienced ultrasound observers. The variables analyzed were tumor type (unilocular, unilocular solid, multilocular, multilocular solid, solid) and presence of papillary projections. Intraobserver repeatability was evaluated for each observer (percentage agreement, Cohen's kappa). Interobserver agreement was estimated for all seven observers (percentage agreement, Fleiss kappa, Cohen's kappa). Results There was uncertainty about how to define a solid component and a papillary projection, but consensus was reached at the consensus meeting. Interobserver agreement for tumor type was good both before and after the consensus meeting, with no clear improvement after the meeting, mean percentage agreement being 76.0% (Fleiss kappa, 0.695) before the meeting and 75.4% (Fleiss kappa, 0.682) after the meeting. Interobserver agreement with regard to papillary projections was moderate both before and after the consensus meeting, with no clear improvement after the meeting, mean percentage agreement being 86.6% (Fleiss kappa, 0.536) before the meeting and 82.7% (Fleiss kappa, 0.487) after it. There was substantial variability in pairwise agreement for papillary projections (Cohen's kappa, 0.148-0.787). Intraobserver repeatability with regard to tumor type was very good and similar before and after the consensus meeting (agreement 87-95%, kappa, 0.83-0.94). With regard to papillary projections intraobserver repeatability was good or very good both before and after the consensus meeting (agreement 88-100%, kappa, 0.64-1.0). Conclusions Despite uncertainty about how to define solid components, interobserver agreement was good for tumor type. The interobserver agreement for papillary projection was moderate but very variable between observer pairs. The term 'papillary projection' might need a more precise definition. The consensus meeting did not change inter- or intraobserver agreement. Copyright © 2013 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective To estimate the agreement between an expert and a non-expert examiner using the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis ( IOTA) simple rules for classifying adnexal masses on real-time ultrasound and when using three-dimensional ( 3D) ultrasound volumes and digital clips. Methods Forty-two non-consecutive women diagnosed as having an adnexal mass were evaluated by transvaginal power Doppler ultrasound as part of their diagnostic work-up. In each woman, examination was first performed by a non-expert examiner (a trainee) and immediately afterwards by an expert examiner. Both used the IOTA simple rules to describe the mass, blinded to each other's results. After finishing the examination, each examiner classified the mass as benign, malignant or inconclusive, according to the IOTA simple rules. Additionally, the expert recorded a short videoclip and acquired a static 3D volume of each mass, which were subsequently assessed by four trainees in obstetrics and gynecology with different levels of training, who also classified the mass as benign, malignant or inconclusive according to the IOTA simple rules. Agreement was assessed by calculating weighted and standard kappa index values with 95% CI and the percentage of agreement between observers. Results Agreement between the observers who performed real-time ultrasound examination was good (weighted kappa = 0.76; 95% CI, 0.61-0.90; agreement = 78.6%). Agreement between trainees using videoclips plus 3D volumes was moderate (kappa values ranged from 0.45 to 0.58, depending on pair comparison). Conclusion Interobserver agreement of the IOTA simple rules for classifying adnexal masses as benign, malignant or inconclusive using real-time ultrasound, between an expert and a non-expert examiner, might be considered good. Agreement using a videoclip plus a 3D volume was moderate for trainees with different degrees of training. Copyright © 2013 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective To assess the feasibility of a specific training program for ultrasound diagnosis of adnexal masses. Methods A 2-month intensive training program was developed. The program protocol consisted of a 1-day intensive theoretical course focused on clinical and sonographic issues related to adnexal masses and ovarian cancer, followed by a 4-week real-time ultrasound training program in a tertiary center (25-30 adnexal masses evaluated per month) and a final 4-week period for offline assessment of three-dimensional ( 3D) volumes from adnexal masses. In this final period, each trainee evaluated five sets of 100 3D volumes. 3D volumes contained gray-scale and power Doppler information, and the trainee was provided with clinical data for each case (patient age, menopausal status and reported symptoms). 3D volumes were obtained from surgically removed masses that had undergone histological diagnosis or from masses that had been followed up until resolution. After assessment of each set, the trainee's diagnostic performance was calculated (sensitivity and specificity) and each incorrectly classified mass was evaluated with the trainer. The objective was to achieve a sensitivity of > 95% and a specificity of > 90%. Learning curve cumulative summation ( LC-CUSUM) graphs were plotted to assess the learning curve for the trainees. Results One trainer and two trainees with little experience in gynecological ultrasound (one gynecologist and one radiologist) participated in this study. LC-CUSUM graphs showed that competence was achieved after 170 or 185 examinations. The objectives for diagnostic performance were achieved after assessment of the second set of 3D volumes (200 cases) for each trainee. Conclusions The proposed training program appears to be feasible. High diagnostic performance can be achieved after analysis of 200 cases and maintained thereafter. Copyright © 2013 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate the results of expectant management of ovarian cysts with benign ultrasound morphology in selected asymptomatic premenopausal women. Methods This was a prospective cohort study of premenopausal women diagnosed with a persistent adnexal cyst. Patients were selected according to symptoms (asymptomatic), the cyst's appearance on ultrasound (benign) and size (

Objectives To develop a logistic regression model for discrimination between benign and malignant unilocular solid cysts with papillary projections but no other solid components, and to compare its diagnostic performance with that of subjective evaluation of ultrasound findings (subjective assessment), CA??125 and the risk of malignancy index (RMI). Methods Among the 3511 adnexal masses in the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) database there were 252 (7%) unilocular solid cysts with papillary projections but no other solid components ('unilocular cysts with papillations'). All had been examined with transvaginal ultrasound using the IOTA standardized research protocol. The ultrasound examiner had also classified each mass as certainly or probably benign, unclassifiable, or certainly or probably malignant. A logistic regression model to discriminate between benignity and malignancy was developed for all unilocular cysts with papillations (175 tumors in the training set and 77 in the test set) and for unilocular cysts with papillations for which the ultrasound examiner was not certain about benignity/malignancy (113 tumors in the training set and 53 in the test set). The gold standard was the histological diagnosis of the surgically removed adnexal mass. Results A model containing six variables was developed for all unilocular cysts with papillations. The model had an area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve (AUC) on the test set of 0.83 (95% CI, 0.74-0.93). The optimal risk cut-off, as defined on the training set (0.35), resulted in sensitivity 69% (20/29), specificity 79% (38/48), positive likelihood ratio (LR?+) 3.31 and negative likelihood ratio (LR-) 0.39 on the test set. The corresponding values for subjective assessment when using the ultrasound examiner's dichotomous classification of the mass as benign or malignant were 97% (28/29), 79% (38/48), 4.63 and 0.04. A model containing four variables was developed for unilocular cysts with papillations for which the ultrasound examiner was not certain about benignity/malignancy. The model had an AUC of 0.74 (95% CI, 0.60-0.88) on the test set. The optimal risk cut-off of the model, as defined on the training set (0.30), resulted in sensitivity 57% (12/21), specificity 78% (25/32), LR?+?2.61 and LR- 0.55 on the test set. The corresponding values for subjective assessment were 95% (20/21), 78% (25/32), 4.35 and 0.06. CA??125 and RMI had virtually no diagnostic ability. Conclusions Even though logistic regression models to predict malignancy in unilocular cysts with papillations can be developed, they have at most moderate performance and are not superior to subjective assessment for discrimination between benignity and malignancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To estimate intraobserver repeatability and interobserver agreement in: (1) describing adnexal masses using the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) terms and definitions; (2) the risk of malignancy calculated using IOTA logistic regression model 1 (LR1) and model 2 (LR2); and (3) the diagnosis made on the basis of subjective assessment of ultrasound images. Methods One-hundred and three adnexal masses were examined by transvaginal gray-scale and power Doppler ultrasound. Three-dimensional ultrasound volumes of the mass were saved. After 12-18months the volumes were analyzed twice, 1-6months apart, by each of two independent experienced sonologists who used the IOTA terms and definitions to describe the masses. The risk of malignancy was calculated using LR1 and LR2. The sonologists also classified the masses as benign or malignant using subjective assessment. Results Eighty-four masses were benign, eight were borderline and 11 were invasively malignant. There was substantial variability within and between observers in the results of measurements included in LR1 and LR2 and some variability also when assessing categorical variables included in the models (agreement = 51-100% and kappa = 0.42-1.00). This resulted in substantial variability in the calculated risk of malignancy, the limits of agreement indicating that the calculated risk of malignancy could vary by a factor of 5-20 within and between- observers. The reliability of the calculated risk of malignancy was moderate (LR1) or poor (LR2) when the calculated risk of malignancy was > 10% (intraclass correlation coefficients varied from 0.21 to 0.73). Interobserver agreement when classifying tumors as benign or malignant using the predetermined risk of malignancy cut-off of 10% was fair to good (agreement =85% and kappa = 0.61 for LR1; agreement = 81% and kappa = 0.52 for LR2). Intra- and interobserver agreements for subjective assessment were 96%, 96% and 96% with kappa values of 0.89, 0.87 and 0.88, respectively. Conclusions Intra- and interobserver agreement in classifying tumors as benign or malignant using the risk of malignancy cut-off of 10% for LR1 and LR2 was fair or good, whilst the reproducibility of subjective assessment was excellent. The reliability of calculated risks > 10% was poor, and calculated risk > 10% cannot be used to discriminate between individuals at different risk. These results cannot be extrapolated to real-time ultrasound examinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In order to ensure that ovarian cancer patients access appropriate treatment to improve the outcome of this disease, accurate characterization before any surgery on ovarian pathology is essential. The International Ovarian Tumor Analysis ( IOTA) collaboration has standardized the approach to the ultrasound description of adnexal pathology. A prospectively collected large database enabled previously developed prediction models like the risk of malignancy index ( RMI) to be tested and novel prediction models to be developed and externally validated in order to determine the optimal approach to characterize adnexal pathology preoperatively. The main IOTA prediction models (logistic regression model 1 ( LR1) and logistic regression model 2 ( LR2)) have both shown excellent diagnostic performance (area under the curve ( AUC) values of 0.96 and 0.95, respectively) and outperform previous diagnostic algorithms. Their test performance almost matches subjective assessment by experienced examiners, which is accepted to be the best way to classify adnexal masses before surgery. A two-step strategy using the IOTA simple rules supplemented with subjective assessment of ultrasound findings when the rules do not apply, also reached excellent diagnostic performance (sensitivity 90%, specificity 93%) and misclassified fewer malignancies than did the RMI. An evidence-based approach to the preoperative characterization of ovarian and other adnexal masses should include the use of LR1, LR2 or IOTA simple rules and subjective assessment by an experienced examiner. Copyright © 2012 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To assess the accuracy of the IOTA logistic regression model LR2 for the diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Methods This was a prospective single-center study of women with an ultrasound diagnosis of an adnexal tumor. They were all examined by a single Level-II ultrasound operator, who had received training in the systematic examination of ovarian tumors in accordance with the IOTA guidelines. In all women the likelihood of the adnexal lesion being malignant was calculated using the IOTA LR2 model. All women underwent surgery within 120 days of ultrasound examination and the ultrasound findings were compared with operative findings and the final histological diagnosis. Results One hundred and twenty-four women were included in the final analysis. The mean age was 53.2 (range, 20-91) years and 61/124 (49.2%) women were postmenopausal. 66/124 (53.2%) women had malignant lesions on postoperative histological examination. The IOTA LR2 model had a sensitivity of 97.0% (95% CI, 89.5-99.6%) and a specificity of 69.0% (95% CI, 55.5-80.5%). The area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve was 0.93 (SE, 0.022; 95% CI, 0.89-0.97), which was not significantly different from 0.92 (SE, 0.018) reported in the original study (P > 0.05). Conclusion When evaluated prospectively, the accuracy of the IOTA LR2 model was similar to that reported in the original study. Copyright © 2012 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To estimate the ability to discriminate between benign and malignant adnexal masses of different size using: subjective assessment, two International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) logistic regression models (LR1 and LR2), the IOTA simple rules and the risk of malignancy index (RMI). Methods We used a multicenter IOTA database of 2445 patients with at least one adnexal mass, i.e. the database previously used to prospectively validate the diagnostic performance of LR1 and LR2. The masses were categorized into three subgroups according to their largest diameter: small tumors (diameter < 4 cm; n = 396), medium-sized tumors (diameter, 4-9.9 cm; n = 1457) and large tumors (diameter ≥ 10 cm, n = 592). Subjective assessment, LR1 and LR2, IOTA simple rules and the RMI were applied to each of the three groups. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratio (LR+, LR−), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve (AUC) were used to describe diagnostic performance. A moving window technique was applied to estimate the effect of tumor size as a continuous variable on the AUC. The reference standard was the histological diagnosis of the surgically removed adnexal mass. Results The frequency of invasive malignancy was 10% in small tumors, 19% in medium-sized tumors and 40% in large tumors; 11% of the large tumors were borderline tumors vs 3% and 4%, respectively, of the small and medium-sized tumors. The type of benign histology also differed among the three subgroups. For all methods, sensitivity with regard to malignancy was lowest in small tumors (56-84% vs 67-93% in medium-sized tumors and 74-95% in large tumors) while specificity was lowest in large tumors (60-87%vs 83-95% in medium-sized tumors and 83-96% in small tumors ). The DOR and the AUC value were highest in medium-sized tumors and the AUC was largest in tumors with a largest diameter of 7-11 cm. Conclusion Tumor size affects the performance of subjective assessment, LR1 and LR2, the IOTA simple rules and the RMI in discriminating correctly between benign and malignant adnexal masses. The likely explanation, at least in part, is the difference in histology among tumors of different size. Copyright © 2012 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the accuracy of transvaginal ultrasonography for adnexa uteri tumor specific diagnosis. It states that the study aims to examine the sensitivity of adnexal tumors among women with the use of the Doppler ultrasonography. It notes that several ultrasound examiners in medical centres have false-negative diagnoses regarding the disease. It concludes that conclusive diagnosis of dermoid cyst is possible in ultrasonography.

The article presents a case study of three patients with Perineural (Tarlov) cysts identified between August 2007 and September 2008. In two of the patients, Case 1 and 3, there was an initial misdiagnosis on examinations of the cyst as hydrosalpinges. It notes that the symptoms experienced by the patient in Case 2 are not entirely accounted for the cyst. It discusses the clinical presentation, imaging of the cyst in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT), and its outcomes.

The article presents a study which assessed the two approaches for vascular sampling through three-dimensional power Doppler angiography (3D-PDA) in solid and cystic-solid adnexal masses. Data collected from 18 consecutive women who were diagnosed with solid or cystic-solid adnexal masses were collected for analysis. Important positive correlation for manually calculated and 5-cm3 sphere among VI, FI and VFI were noted. It concludes that both methods are consistent for 3D-PDA.

Adnexal torsion is a common etiology of acute pelvic pain. Conclusions The absence of typical sonographic signs does not rule out ovarian torsion. Detorsion was performed for all patients followed by cystectomy in 13 cases (59%), adnexectomy in 3 cases (13%) and simple cystic puncture in 6 cases. [Extracted from the article]

Dividing the patients into peri- (PEM) and postmenopausal (POM) groups the preoperative serum markers have been checked and NLR and PLR were counted. Conclusions Simple ultrasound features can be used safely to distinguish the nature of ovarian cysts in premenopausal patients especially if serum inflammatory markers are used at the same time. To determine the diagnostic performance of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and simple ultrasound characteristics regarding the nature of adnexal masses from the point of menopausal status. [Extracted from the article]