Questions in the Maternal and Child Health Forum have been answered by doctors from Henry Ford Health System.

Question Title: Annual OBGYN Exam

Forum: The Maternal and Child Health Forum
Topic: Pregnancy - Abnormal


I had an Annual Exam today at a new OBGYN. I encountered a few tests I had never been done before.

The doctor performed a vaginal ultrasound to detect early ovarian cancer and pregnancy. Has this become the norm in an Annual Exam? Is this test accurate at finding ovarian cancer and pregnancy (he said after about 5 weeks)?

Many gynecologic practitioners are adding vaginal ultrasound to the standard physical examination. In many ways, this can dramatically enhance the physical examination by adding visual information about the uterus and ovaries to the normal tactile information from palpation. Although there are other ways to diagnose pregnancy, certainly your practitioner is correct in stating that pregancies beyond five weeks are rountinely seen using this technology. There is some debate within the medical community about the routine use of vaginal ultrasonography as a screening technique for ovarian cancer. Certainly the test is not harmful and there is no debate that enlarged ovaries are usually seen.


 

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