Continuous-wave and pulsed Doppler studies of the breast: Clinical results and effect of transducer frequency

• Published in: Ultrasound in medicine & biology Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 31 - 39
• Main Authors: Madjar, H., Sauerbrei, W., Münch, S., Schillinger, H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 1991; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adenofibroma - blood supply; Adenofibroma - diagnostic imaging; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Flow Velocity; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - blood supply; Breast Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Carcinoma - blood supply; Carcinoma - diagnostic imaging; Color mapping; Female; Fibrocystic Breast Disease - blood supply; Fibrocystic Breast Disease - diagnostic imaging; Genital system. Mammary gland; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Mastitis - diagnostic imaging; Medical sciences; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - blood supply; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - diagnostic imaging; Tumor differentiation; Ultrasonic Doppler effect; Ultrasonic investigative techniques; Ultrasonography; Ultrasound; Vascularisation; Color mapping; Ultrasonic Doppler effect; Breast cancer; Vascularisation; Ultrasound; Tumor differentiation; Doppler ultrasound study; Sonography; Human; Mammary gland diseases; Continuous wave; Exploration; Malignant tumor
• ISSN: 0301-5629; 1879-291X
• DOI: 10.1016/0301-5629(91)90006-I

Malignant growth requires a high metabolism. This allows the differentiation of lesions by Doppler measurements of their vascularisation. In this study of 224 patients with 45 malignancies (37 breast cancers and 8 local recurrences), 87% of the cases were correctly identified. Differentiation of palpable lesions was possible in 93%. The flow in normal breast arteries was studied as well as in carcinomas, comparing continuous-wave (CW) Doppler with frequencies at 4 and 8 MHz. To improve flow evaluations in nonpalpable lesions, pulsed Doppler was used at 3 MHz and color mapping systems at 5 MHz in another 37 patients. Color Doppler at 5 MHz identified 17 of the 21 malignancies; in all cases pulsed Doppler at 3 MHz failed.