Abstract
Objective: To evaluate uterine artery Doppler parameters and assess their diagnostic accuracy in differentiating benign from malignant adnexal masses.
Study design: It was a descriptive study.
Place and duration of study: This study included 385 women aged 18–65 years with suspected adnexal masses who underwent transabdominal Doppler ultrasound between August and December 2024 at Sammar Diagnostic Lab, Lahore.
Material and Methods: This descriptive study included 385 women aged 18–65 years with suspected adnexal masses who underwent transabdominal Doppler ultrasound between August and December 2024 at Sammar Diagnostic Lab, Lahore. Doppler parameters from bilateral uterine arteries were measured and correlated with adnexal mass characteristics. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 with Pearson correlation and t-tests; p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: Among 385 patients evaluated, mixed-type adnexal masses were most common (24.2%), followed by malignant (20.5%) and solid or benign lesions (19.7% each). Pearson correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation between malignancy and both Right Uterine Artery Resistance Index (r = –0.503) and Pulsatility Index (r = –0.476). The Left Uterine Artery RI also showed a moderate negative correlation (r = –0.423), while Peak Systolic Velocity was moderately positively correlated with malignancy (r = 0.371; p < 0.001). One-sample t-tests confirmed that the mean values of Doppler parameters were statistically significant (p < 0.001), supporting their diagnostic relevance.
Conclusion: Uterine artery Doppler parameters, particularly low RI and PI and elevated PSV, are significantly associated with malignant adnexal masses. These indices serve as valuable non-invasive markers for early malignancy detection and can complement grayscale ultrasound in improving diagnostic accuracy. Further multicenter studies are recommended to validate these findings and standardize Doppler criteria.
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