Complementary Role of Ultrasound in Management of Gestational Trophoblastic Disease

Background: transvaginal ultrasonography is a noninvasive and inexpensive medical imaging tool used for the diagnosis of various diseases. objectives: to identify an effective method to identify high-risk patients for developing malignancy after molar evacuation. patients and methods: a prospective serial assessment of 19 patients with gestational trophoblastic disease was performed. clinical and laboratory data, transvaginal ultrasound and doppler findings were evaluated the day before evacuation. they were followed-up in the first week after evacuation and every two weeks during the next two months, then every month until the sixth month. results: ovarian theca lutein cysts (p = 0.018) (among pre-evacuation factors) and first week ultrasound (p = 0.02) can help in detecting high-risk patients. even though, when β-hcg titer is not available in a high-risk patient, post evacuation myometrial involvement (p = 0.005) is a useful sign for detecting persistency. conclusions: some ultrasonographic features of molar pregnancy have capability to predict malignancy in the course of disease.