[Relevance of cul-de-sac puncture to diagnosis and differentiation of ovarian tumours (author's transl)].

Cul-de-sac puncture was tested for its accuracy in identifying the presence of ovarian tumours. The accuracy of the technique amounted to 82.4 per cent. Technical and methodical failures were observed in 16.5 per cent of the cases. More detailed cytological differentiation of tumours proved to be possible in 42.8 per cent of benign cases and in 17.6 per cent of malignant cases. The accuracy of the method proved to be sufficiently reliable in early malignancy, as well (69.2 per cent in Stage I of ovarian carcinoma). Cul-de-sac puncture thus is a good method for diagnosis of ovarian carcinoma.