Ultrasound evaluation in the follow-up of ovarian cancer today

From October 1982 through December 1986, standardized abdominal-pelvic sonography was performed on 257 patients with ovarian cancer scheduled to undergo surgery (laparoscopy, laparotomy). This U.S. test was evaluated by a gynaecologist who was informed of the clinical diagnosis and the findings of physical examination. The Authors selected 110 patients with ovarian cancer, underwent a second look laparotomy, for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The sensitivity (53%), the specificity (68%), the predictive value (78%) and the accuracy 71.8%) of ultrasound for detecting disease have been evaluated to assess its usefulness as a non invasive diagnostic modality in these patients.