Investigation of Ultrasound Assessment:Cysts in Pre-menopausal women/1

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  An assessment of the current management of ovarian cysts identified by sonographers and radiologists in a large NHS trust and whether the use of the IOTA simple descriptors and IOTA app would have improved patient management and use of resources

• IRAS ID

  152217

• Contact name

  Gill Harrison

• Contact email

  G.Harrison@city.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  City University London

• Research summary

  It has become common practice for sonographers to arrange rescans in six weeks for pre-menopausal patients where an ovarian cyst is identified on pelvic ultrasound. A retrospective study of a large NHS trust radiology department looking at the current system of managing ovarian cysts in premenopausal women is proposed. Two questions would be asked. Firstly, is the current system an effective method of managing ovarian cysts and were patients getting the correct management? The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) guidelines, published in 2011 would be used to guide what the department should be basing current practice on.
  Secondly, would the use of International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) simple descriptors and the IOTA simple rules app on the same patients have improved management of these cysts? IOTA is a well known study group in gynecology ultrasound and their rules guiding decisions about whether an ovarian cyst is benign or malignant is already incorporated in the RCOG guidelines. Their latest studies have been to design an app and simple guidelines to help sonographers triage patients with an ovarian cyst and advise the best management for the cyst identified. Examples are: cysts from ovulation do not need follow up, benign cysts will need a follow up scan to assess for change, malignant or inconclusive appearance of a cyst will need urgent expert gynecology opinion.

  To keep the study focused; pre-menopausal women, where an ovarian cyst has been identified and a rescan in 6 weeks arranged by the ultrasound examiner would be included in the study, this is what is current local practice.

  The study would be conducted in the radiology department of a large NHS trust.

  This retrospective study will last approximately one year and the participants identified for the study would have completed their treatment and therefore their treatment will be unaffected by the study.

• REC name

  South West - Frenchay Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  14/SW/1030

• Date of REC Opinion

  15 Aug 2014

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion