Doppler ultrasound in the nonpregnant pelvis

The reproducibility of Doppler ultrasound waveforms within gynecology has not been previously assessed. A study was conducted of Doppler ultrasound signals from the uterine and ovarian arteries in nonpregnant women. The aim of the study was to compare the results of two different observers and also to determine the influence of a time delay (30 minutes later). A second aim was to observe the influence of the menstrual cycle on Doppler ultrasound signals. Pulsatility indices were calculated for each series of Doppler signals. The results show that the technique has a large interobserver difference and its use in the deep pelvic vessels for research purposes is of doubtful value at present.