Sonographer-acquired ultrasound protocol for deep endometriosis

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This paper proposes a sonographer-acquired ultrasound protocol to improve the sensitivity of endovaginal sonography for detecting deep pelvic endometriosis beyond ovarian endometriomas.

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This paper proposes a standardized protocol for sonographer-acquired endovaginal ultrasound images and specific maneuvers that can be reviewed offline by sonologists to improve detection sensitivity for pelvic deep endometriosis, particularly in US workflow settings that use non-physician sonographers. The authors’ focus is on reducing gaps in routine practice that often fail to assess endometriosis beyond ovarian endometriomas by formalizing what images to capture and how to acquire them. The main limitation is that the article describes a protocol rather than presenting new diagnostic accuracy results or a prospective validation dataset within the text provided. Relevance to endometriosis: the entire paper is about endovaginal sonographic assessment for deep pelvic endometriosis using a structured sonographer-acquisition protocol, directly targeting improved imaging sensitivity for endometriosis detection.

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Abstract

Endovaginal sonographic imaging has been shown to reliably identify pelvic endometriosis, but most United States imaging practices do not adequately assess locations and features of endometriosis beyond ovarian endometrioma. In this article, we propose a protocol for sonographer-acquired images and maneuvers to be interpreted subsequently by sonologists (radiologists or gynecologists). The purpose is to improve the sensitivity of endovaginal sonography for the detection of endometriosis in imaging practices that involve the non-physician sonographer as part of their workflow.
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Abstract

Endovaginal sonographic imaging has been shown to reliably identify pelvic endometriosis, but most United States imaging practices do not adequately assess locations and features of endometriosis beyond ovarian endometrioma. In this article, we propose a protocol for sonographer-acquired images and maneuvers to be interpreted subsequently by sonologists (radiologists or gynecologists). The purpose is to improve the sensitivity of endovaginal sonography for the detection of endometriosis in imaging practices that involve the non-physician sonographer as part of their workflow. Similar content being viewed by others

References

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J Minim Invasive Gynecol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmig.2019.02.017 Author information Authors and Affiliations Corresponding author Additional information Publisher's Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Electronic supplementary material Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material. Rights and permissions About this article Cite this article Young, S.W., Groszmann, Y., Dahiya, N. et al. Sonographer-acquired ultrasound protocol for deep endometriosis. Abdom Radiol 45, 1659–1669 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-019-02341-4 Published: Version of record: Issue date: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-019-02341-4

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endometriosisendometrioma

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Endometriosis Diagnostic Imaging Female Humans Sensitivity and Specificity Ultrasonography

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