Transabdominal ultrasound as accurate and sensitive modality for diagnosis of ovarian dermoid cyst: a tertiary care hospital experience

Abstract

Background: Transabdominal ultrasound is readily available, cost effective and first line investigation for pelvic
pathologies in girls of adolescent age group. It avoids unnecessary radiation exposure due to CT imaging. Ovarian
dermoid cyst is common benign pathology among young girls. In present study we have determined the
transabdominal ultrasound sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy for diagnosis of dermoid cyst of ovary taking
histopathology as gold standard.
Patients and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Diagnostic Radiology Department, Sir Ganga Ram
Hospital Lahore from 25th Nov 2014 to 24th May 2015. In this study 150 patients (age 6 to 25 years) were included
with clinical suspicion of ovarian mass or lower abdominal pain. Transabdominal sonography was carried out and
diagnosis i.e. presence of ovarian dermoid cyst or its absence were recorded. All the patients (with a lower
abdominal/pelvic mass) underwent surgery either by laparoscopy or laparotomy (therapeutic/diagnostic) and
postoperative specimen were sent for histopathology. The results of transabdominal sonogram and histopathology
were compared taking histopathology as gold standard.
Results: After comparison of results of transabdominal sonography with histopathology the sensitivity, specificity of
transabdominal ultrasound were 92.7%, 87.5% and diagnostic accuracy was 91.3%. Negative and positive predictive
values were 95.3% and 81.3% respectively.
Conclusion: The transabdominal ultrasound is very accurate and sensitive modality for diagnosis of ovarian dermoid
cyst. Moreover transabdominal ultrasound is easily available first line imaging technique for the diagnosis of this
common pelvic lesion (dermoid cyst) among adolescent and young girls.