The accuracy of transvaginal ultrasound and uterine artery Doppler in the prediction of adenomyosis

Objective: To measure the accuracy of the ultrasonographic features in predicting adenomyosis and to determine if there is a role for uterine artery Doppler in adenomyosis prediction. Study design: A prospective comparative study. Setting: Cairo University hospital. Materials and methods: Three hundred and fifty-two women who were scheduled for hysterectomy for various indications underwent preoperative transvaginal ultrasound scan (TVS) and uterine artery Doppler velocimetry in an attempt to diagnose adenomyosis. All the results were then correlated with histopathological results after hysterectomy. Results: Forty-eight participants were ultrasonographically diagnosed as having adenomyosis from which 37 patients were histologically confirmed. Both groups were comparable in age, but adenomyosis tend to occur in multiparas. We found that subendometrial linear striations, myometrial cysts’ number and poor endometrial delineation were significantly associated with adenomyosis. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and overall accuracy of TVS for diagnosing adenomyosis were: 75.68%, 90.79%, 49.12%, 96.95% and 89.20%, respectively. Heterogenous myometrial echotexture was the most common ultrasonographic feature in adenomyotic cases. Neither uterine artery resistance index nor pulsatility index showed significant association with adenomyosis. Conclusion: TVS is a potentially valuable tool in predicting adenomyosis especially when subendometrial linear echogenic striations, myometrial cysts, and poor endometrial delineations were found. However, uterine artery Doppler has no diagnostic values