High resolution compression elastography and color doppler sonography in characterization of breast fibroadenoma

• Published in: Clinical hemorheology and microcirculation Vol. 58; no. 1; pp. 115 - 125
• Main Authors: Rjosk-Dendorfer, D., Reu, S., Deak, Z., Hetterich, H., Kolben, T., Reiser, M., Clevert, D.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 2014
• Subjects: Adult; Breast - pathology; Elasticity Imaging Techniques - methods; Female; Fibroadenoma - diagnosis; Fibroadenoma - diagnostic imaging; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Middle Aged; Observer Variation; Perfusion; Reproducibility of Results; Retrospective Studies; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color - methods; Ultrasonography, Mammary - methods; Young Adult; elastography; doppler sonography; Fibroadenoma; ultrasound
• ISSN: 1386-0291; 1875-8622
• DOI: 10.3233/CH-141884

PURPOSE: To evaluate the use of color Doppler sonography and free hand sonoelastography in the assessment of breast fibroadenomas according to their size and shape. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From December 2012 to March 2013 women with 16 solid breast masses, classified as BI-RADS category 3 or 4 were examined with B-mode ultrasound, sonoelastography and color Doppler sonography. Lesions were subdivided according to their shape in round, ovoid or macrolobulated and according to their size (<2.0 cm or ≥2.0 cm). Two readers assessed sonoelastographic findings at 12.5 MHz using the tsukuba elasticity score and results of Doppler sonography using a score of 0, 1 or 2, depending on the degree of perfusion. RESULTS: Among the 16 examined lesions 3 showed a round shape, 9 were ovoid and in 4 cases a macrolobulated appearance could be seen. No significant differences concerning Tsukuba-score depending on various shapes of fibroadenomas in B-mode sonography could be shown (p = 0.91) and also comparison of Tsukuba-scores and size of masses revealed no significant differences (p = 1.0). Sizes of fibroadenomas ≥2 cm were significantly associated with an increased vascularization of the lesions (p = 0.04) and a macrolobulated appearance in B-mode sonography (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: The combination of color Doppler sonography and sonoelastography in addition to B-mode sonography leads to an increased accuracy in distinguishing benign from malignant breast masses and to an improvement in characterization of fibroadenomas independent of their shape or size.