Anne-Marie Dixon outlines when and for what diseases gynaecological ultrasound is necessary

Pelvic ultrasound is a clinically accurate and cost-effective first-line investigation for suspected female reproductive tract abnormality and is safe and acceptable to patients (Clark 2004, Critchley et al 2004). However, as ultrasound is increasingly recognised as a useful diagnostic test, it is important that limited resources are not over burdened with unnecessary referrals (Weaver 2004) and that inappropriate referrals do not result in unwarranted treatment of clinically irrelevant incidental findings (Valentin 1999a).