Non-enhanced Transvaginal Ultrasonography

In: Clinical Management of Bowel Endometriosis · 2020 · pp. 43–52 · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-50446-5_5 · W3083351837
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Transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) is a crucial first-line imaging tool for assessing rectosigmoid deep infiltrating endometriosis, with high reported sensitivity and specificity.

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This chapter discusses how non-enhanced transvaginal ultrasonography is used to evaluate rectosigmoid deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE), focusing on key sonographic criteria and the diagnostic performance for rectosigmoid lesions. It reports pooled sensitivity and specificity of TVS for detecting rectosigmoid DIE of 91% and 97%, respectively, and describes the relative ease of the learning curve while noting that ultrasonographic “soft markers” (including uterine adenomyosis signs, endometrioma, ovarian-uterine adhesions, “kissing ovaries,” and absence of the sliding sign) can indicate increased risk. A stated limitation is that these diagnostic accuracies are position-specific and not necessarily directly interchangeable with other lesion locations. Relevance to endometriosis: the paper is explicitly about detecting rectosigmoid deep infiltrating endometriosis using non-enhanced transvaginal ultrasonography, and it also incorporates uterine adenomyosis as one of several sonographic “soft markers” used to predict increased risk of rectosigmoid endometriosis.

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Abstract

Transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) is crucial to provide a correct informed consent, select the appropriate surgical team and assess the surgical complexity. The ultrasonographic findings of rectosigmoid deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) are the presence of an irregular hypoechoic nodule in the anterior wall of rectosigma. A pooled sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography (TVS) in detecting DIE in the rectosigma of 91% and 97%, respectively, is reported. The learning curve for this kind of diagnosis is not so complex and the use of some ultrasonographic “soft markers” as presence of ultrasonographic signs of uterine adenomyosis, presence of an endometrioma, adhesions of the ovary to the uterus, presence of “kissing ovaries,” and absence of sliding sign can suggest an increased risk of presence of rectosigmoid endometriosis. The magnetic resonance has similar result in term of accuracy in comparison with transvaginal ultrasonography for this location. Access this chapter Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout Purchases are for personal use only Similar content being viewed by others

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Clinical diagnosis of endometriosis: a call to action. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2019;220:354.e1–354.e12. Author information Authors and Affiliations Corresponding author Editor information Editors and Affiliations 5.1 Electronic Supplementary Material Bulky rectosigmoid nodule (AVI 14,159 kb) Rectosigmoid nodule with absence of sliding (AVI 12,075 kb) Normal sliding of the uterus in absence of POD occlusion (AVI 5648 kb) Rights and permissions Copyright information © 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG About this chapter Cite this chapter Guerriero, S. et al. (2020). Non-enhanced Transvaginal Ultrasonography. In: Ferrero, S., Ceccaroni, M. (eds) Clinical Management of Bowel Endometriosis. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50446-5_5 Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50446-5_5 Published: Publisher Name: Springer, Cham Print ISBN: 978-3-030-50445-8 Online ISBN: 978-3-030-50446-5 eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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