Previous studies have shown that the transvaginal approach works for endometrial biopsy or fine needle aspiration of pelvic lesions, but few have demonstrated whether it is a feasible technique for biopsying pelvic masses, according to presenter Dr. Jung Jae Park of Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine in Seoul. For this research, Park and colleagues included 49 women with 49 pelvic masses who underwent ultrasound-guided transvaginal core biopsy between 2009 and 2013. Mean size of the masses was 4.2 cm.
The technique's overall diagnostic accuracy was 91.8% (45 of 49 patients). Of the 49 masses, 39 were diagnosed as cancer, five showed active inflammation but no malignancy (and disappeared at follow-up imaging), and one was diagnosed as an ovarian sex cord-stromal tumor. Four were nondiagnostic. None of the biopsies resulted in major complications, according to the group.
Ultrasound-guided transvaginal core biopsy is a viable technique for clinical decision-making and for choosing the best treatment strategies in patients with pelvic masses, Park and colleagues concluded.
