Details of 86 patients with a pelvic mass who underwent a laparotomy under the gynaecological service in St. Vincent's Hospital were reviewed. Findings at laparotomy were correlated with ultrasound findings. Overall, ultrasound appears to be more sensitive and specific in the determination of the origins of a pelvic mass compared to clinical examination. The sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound in detecting a uterine mass is 94 per cent and 99 per cent respectively. This contrasts sharply with clinical examination (sensitivity = 74 per cent; specificity = 94 per cent). The sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound in detecting an ovarian mass is 92 per cent and 71 per cent. Ultrasound is capable of predicting benign disease with reasonable confidence but the prediction of malignancy is less reliable.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.