Conservative management of postmenopausal pelvic echo-free findings--preliminary results.

OBJECTIVES

To develop a conservative protocol for the treatment of echo-free findings in the pelvis, diagnosed by sonography in post-menopausal women, in order to avoid unnecessary surgical intervention.

METHODS

A prospective study where each post-menopausal-patient underwent sonographic evaluation of the pelvic mass, serum Ca-125 levels, ambulatory aspiration of the cyst, and operative laparoscopy if necessary.

RESULTS

One hundred and eighty-two women were included in the 3 years of the study. Only two cases of malignancy were diagnosed. There were no false-negative results.

CONCLUSION

Although the results of our protocol of conservative management look promising, we cannot draw final conclusions because of the small sample size. Perhaps as our knowledge increases, physicians will feel more confident in handling adnexal findings conservatively.