Role of Combining Colour Doppler and Grey Scale Ultrasound in Differentiating Benign from Malignant Ovarian Masses

The aim of this study was to evaluate ovarian masses with conventional grey scale ultrasonography and colour Doppler flow imaging and to assess the diagnostic reliability of these methods in differentiating benign and malignant ovarian masses.

We assessed 56 patients with an ovarian mass. Morphological characterisation of the mass was performed utilising the Sassone score. Colour Doppler parameters were recorded for each patient, and the Caruso vascular score was also applied. The results were compared with surgical/pathological and/or follow-up scans.

Using the Sassone score, overall reliability in differentiating ovarian masses had a sensitivity of 89.5% and a specificity of 78.4%. Using the Caruso score alone, we found a sensitivity of 89.5% and a specificity of 86.5%. Using the Sassone and Caruso scores together, we found a sensitivity of 94.7% and a specificity of 89.1%.

Combining both morphological and colour Doppler scores in the evaluation of ovarian masses obtained higher specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy than was obtained using a single score only.