J Breast Cancer.  2013 Jun;16(2):208-213. 10.4048/jbc.2013.16.2.208.

Diagnostic Value of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Parametric Imaging in Breast Tumors

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Ultrasound, Pudong New Area People's Hospital, Shanghai, China. doct1167@126.com

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of SonoLiver software for parametric imaging in breast tumors.
METHODS
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) was performed in 216 breast lesions (113 malignant, 103 benign). The CEUS parameters were compared between benign and malignant lesions. The rise time, the time to peak, the mean transit time and dynamic vessel pattern (DVP) were analyzed using SonoLiver software.
RESULTS
Quantitative analysis showed that the rise time was 16.52+/-4.15 seconds in the benign group vs. 13.86+/-3.36 seconds in the malignant group (p=0.007), and the time to peak was 19.86+/-4.87 seconds in the benign group vs. 16.52+/-4.85 seconds in the malignant group (p=0.009). The mean transit time was 80.55+/-18.65 seconds in the benign group vs. 65.16+/-20.28 seconds in the malignant group (p=0.006). The difference between the distribution of DVP in benign and malignant tumors was statistically significant. One hundred one malignant tumors (89.4%) performed an irregular red/yellow fill in the region of interest (ROI) and 85 benign tumors (82.5%) performed a single blue/green fill in the ROI. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of parametric imaging in breast tumors were 84.1%, 85.4%, 84.7%, respectively.
CONCLUSION
The CEUS parametric imaging can distinguish differences between malignant and benign breast tumors as well as provide diagnostic information on breast lesions.

Keyword

Breast neoplasms; Contrast media; Ultrasonography

MeSH Terms

Breast
Breast Neoplasms
Contrast Media
Glycosaminoglycans
Sensitivity and Specificity
Contrast Media
Glycosaminoglycans

Figure

  • Figure 1 In a 59-year-old woman with a palpable mass in the inner upper quadrant of her left breast, surgical pathology proved an invasive ductal carcinoma. Rise time (RT) parametric imaging was given 1 point (A), time to peak (TTP) parametric imaging was given 1 point (B), and mean transit time (mTT) parametric imaging was given 1 point (C). Finally, the total score of this case was 3 (1+1+1=3).

  • Figure 2 In a 35-year-old woman with a palpable mass in the outer upper quadrant of her right breast, surgical pathology proved a fibroadenoma. Rise time (RT) parametric imaging was given 0 points (A), time to peak (TTP) parametric imaging was given 0 points (B), and mean transit time (mTT) parametric imaging was given 0 points (C). Finally, the total score of this case was 0 (0+0+0=0).

  • Figure 3 In a 68-year-old woman with a palpable mass in the outer upper quadrant of her left breast, surgical pathology proved an invasive ductal carcinoma. Distribution of dynamic vessel pattern performed a red/yellow fill.

  • Figure 4 In a 25-year-old woman with a palpable mass in the inner upper quadrant of her left breast, surgical pathology proved a fibroadenoma. Distribution of dynamic vessel pattern performed a single blue/green fill.

  • Figure 5 In a 31-year-old woman with a palpable mass in the inner upper quadrant of her right breast, surgical pathology proved a fibroadenoma. Distribution of dynamic vessel pattern performed a few points of linear red/yellow fill and most of the lesion were a blue/green fill.


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