Three-dimensional power Doppler imaging of early-stage cervical cancer

Abstract

Objectives: To characterize intratumoral vascularization in early-stage cervical cancer by three-dimensional (3D) power Doppler ultrasound. Methods: One hundred and forty-one patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix and 30 normal controls were studied by transvaginal 3D power Doppler ultrasound. The tumor volume of the cervical cancer was determined. The blood flow within the tumor or normal cervix was measured and expressed as the vascularization index (VI), flow index (FI) and vascularization flow index (VFI). Results: Of the 141 patients with cervical cancer, 44 patients had undergone prior cervical conization. Eighty-seven patients had measurable cervical tumors, of whom five had had prior conization. Abundant intratumoral power Doppler signals could be detected, and the VI, FI and VFI were significantly elevated in cervical cancer patients compared with women with a normal cervix and patients in whom no cervical tumor could be detected (P < 0.05, one-way ANOVA). We observed four types of intratumoral vascularity patterns, which did not significantly differ in VI, FI and VFI: localized, peripheral, scattered and single-vessel types. Cervical tumor volume was positively correlated with FI (linear regression, r = 0.373, P = 0.001), but not with VI or VFI. Conclusions: 3D power Doppler ultrasound provides a useful tool to investigate intratumoral vascularization and volume of cervical cancer. Copyright © 2004 ISUOG.