BACKGROUND/AIM: To compare the diagnostic reliability, accuracy and safety of ultrasound-guided biopsy (Tru-Cut biopsy) and ascites puncture in patients with a primarily inoperable malignant ovarian tumor. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of the studied methods in consecutively examined patients and a prospective validation of these methods. 79 women with a suspected primarily inoperable ovarian tumor underwent Tru-Cut biopsies and were included in the ultrasound-guided biopsy group. In addition, 55 patients after ascites puncture were enrolled in the comparison group. Both procedures were performed in 48 patients for the prospective validation. RESULTS: Significant differences in favour of ultrasound-guided biopsy were found in all studied variables (malignancy confirmation 72.9% vs. 95.8%, tumor origin 52.1% vs. 89.6%, histologic subtype 43.8% vs. 85.4% and accuracy, i.e. agreement of preoperative and definitive diagnosis 43.7% vs. 95.4%). CONCLUSION: Ultrasound-guided biopsy is an accurate, reliable, safe and minimally invasive method. Owing to the high reliability and accuracy, it has the capacity to replace ascites puncture with cytologic examination or a more invasive method (laparoscopy, laparotomy) for adequate tumor sampling.

Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics 1st Faculty of Medicine and Hospital Na Bulovce Charles University Prague Prague Czech Republic

Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics University Hospital in Brno and Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic

Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics University Hospital Pilsen Charles University Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen Pilsen Czech Republic

Department of Immunochemistry Diagnostics University Hospital Pilsen Pilsen Czech Republic

Department of Pathology University Hospital Pilsen Charles University Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen Pilsen Czech Republic

References provided by Crossref.org

ISUOG/ESGO Consensus Statement on ultrasound-guided biopsy in gynecological oncology