Clinical Utility of Pelvic Ultrasound in Young Women with Non-Acute Pelvic Pain - Abstract
Objectives: Pelvic pain is a common presenting complaint at gynecologic office visits and ultrasonography is the imaging modality of choice for the female pelvis. However,
the clinical utility of ultrasonography for the assessment of women with pelvic pain in the outpatient setting has not been well described. The objective of this study is to describe the
findings on pelvic ultrasound in young women undergoing evaluation for pelvic pain.
Methods: A retrospective chart review identified all female patients 30 years or younger who underwent pelvic sonography in an American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
(AIUM) certified ambulatory unit for the indication of “pelvic pain” or “dyspareunia” from January 2018 to January 2020 at a safety net hospital in Denver, CO. Ultrasounds were
categorized as normal, abnormal, or indeterminate. Prevalence was calculated as the percentage of patients with abnormal ultrasound findings. The relationship between abnormal
ultrasound findings and demographic variables was also assessed.
Results: 195 patients were included, of whom 5.6% had abnormal ultrasound findings. Six patients had adnexal masses (3.1%), two patients had pelvic adhesions (1.0%), two
patients had uterine anomalies (1.0%), and one patient had fibroids (0.5%). There were no differences in demographic characteristics between patients with normal and abnormal
or indeterminate ultrasound findings.
Conclusions: The prevalence of ultrasound abnormalities in young women with non-acute pelvic pain evaluated in the outpatient setting is low. In a safety net hospital setting
with limited resources, providers should consider alternative methods of evaluation prior to utilizing pelvic ultrasound in this clinical scenario.