TF - Are you sure that's a corpus luteum?

Take Home Points

what is mittlelshmerz

Midcycle pain due to rupture of a follicle

what are the findings to confirm that a structure is a corpus luteum

• Thick-walled unilocular cystic structure
• Usually 15-20 mm
• There is typically circumferential low-resistance flow ("ring of fire")
• Should be seen during the second half of menstrual cycle (secretory phase endometrium)

what does the term hemorrhagic corpus luteum mean?

• Corpora Lutea almost invariably will have some internal hemorrhage which is an expected finding, so the standard terminology of "hemorrhagic corpus luteum" is a bit redundant and may imply pathology when none is really present.
• We would call it a hemorrhagic corpus luteum cyst if it were > 2.5 - 3 cm

if it's a normal finding, should i even mention it on my report?

• Since the differential diagnosis of these lesions is the very very rare stage 1 ovarian cancer, it is important to go through the above analytic process.
• We also generally mention it in the report to demonstrate to others (and ourselves) that we didn't just "blow it off" and actually saw it, evaluated it and came to that conclusion.
• We will cover more about this type of importance in reporting in some of the malpractice case reviews.