Accuracy of the double contrast enema in evaluation of the abdominal diffusion of ovarian carcinoma.

: The results of 103 double contrast enemas in 72 patients with ovarian carcinoma (stage III and IV) were compared with laparoscopic and/or laparotomic findings at comparable times. The evaluation of the validity of radiology in detecting the presence of abdominal disease showed an 84% overall accuracy, 75% specificity and 86% sensitivity. The accuracy in detecting signs of adhesion and parietal infiltration of the large bowel was 76.3%, due to the limited size of most of the lesions. Forty-seven of the 72 patients underwent a double contrast enema and laparoscopy during presurgical staging: accuracy in detecting lesions was the same for both examinations (80.4%). When double contrast enema and laparoscopy were used together in the evaluation of abdominal extension of the disease, the diagnostic accuracy rose to 93.6%.