Integrating Contrast-enhanced US to O-RADS US for Classification of Adnexal Lesions with Solid Components: Time-intensity Curve Analysis versus Visual Assessment

Purpose: To compare the diagnostic performance of time-intensity curve (TIC) analysis and subjective visual assessment of contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) when integrated with the Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting and Data System (O-RADS) US risk stratification system for characterizing adnexal lesions with solid components. Materials and Methods: In this prospective multicenter study conducted from September 2021 to December 2022, female individuals with suspected adnexal lesions containing solid components detected at routine US were enrolled. All participants underwent preoperative CEUS examinations. Histopathologic findings were used as the reference standard for diagnosis. Lesions were classified according to the O-RADS US system. Enhancement of solid tissue compared with the outer myometrium was evaluated using both TIC analysis and subjective visual assessment. The diagnostic performance of O-RADS alone and each CEUS assessment method when integrated with the O-RADS US system was assessed and compared using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results: A total of 180 lesions (80 malignant and 100 benign histopathologic outcomes) in 175 participants (median age, 47 years [IQR, 33-56]) were analyzed. Incorporating CEUS (assessed through both TIC analysis and subjective visual assessment) with O-RADS US showed significantly improved diagnostic performance over O-RADS US alone, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.86 (95% CI: 0.80, 0.91) compared with 0.78 (95% CI: 0.71, 0.84). No evidence of a difference was observed between the AUCs of TIC analysis and subjective visual assessment in enhancement evaluation of solid tissue with CEUS for adnexal malignancy categorization (P = .83). Conclusion: Subjective visual assessment and TIC analysis of CEUS features when integrated with the O-RADS US scoring system showed comparable diagnostic performance in assigning adnexal malignancy risk.