Sonography in chronic distension of the abdomen and apparent pregnancy

Objective: To find out the causes of chronic distension of the abdomen in women who thought they were pregnant; and the role of sonography in their management.
Method: A retrospective study
Results: There were 394 patients in the study. The mean age was 36.2 ± 1.7. Uterine fibroids (42%) and ovarian benign tumours (11%) were the main findings. Cancer of the cervix (10%) cancer of endometrium 3.3%; cancer of ovary (3.6%) and medical conditions - obesity (6.3%), cirrhosis of liver 3.8% were also important findings. The sensitivity for using sonography in diagnosing fibroids, ovarian cancers and benign ovarian tumours was 90.4%; 66%; and 86% respectively.
Conclusion: Sonography can exclude pregnancy and it is reliable in diagnosing many causes of chronic abdominal distension. Histopathology is mandatory in ovarian tumours.