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Published in: European Radiology 6/2010

01-06-2010 | Contrast Media

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the characterisation of breast masses: utility of quantitative analysis in comparison with MRI

Authors: Natalia Caproni, Francesca Marchisio, Annarita Pecchi, Barbara Canossi, Rachele Battista, Piero D’Alimonte, Pietro Torricelli

Published in: European Radiology | Issue 6/2010

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Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the reliability of contrast-enhanced ultrasound quantitative analysis (CE-US) in characterizing breast lesions, in comparison with MRI.

Materials

Thirty-nine patients with breast lesions BI-RADS 3–5 at US or mammography underwent CE-US and MRI. All lesions underwent histological and quantitative enhancement evaluation with both imaging methods. B-mode US, colour/power Doppler US and CE-US were used; an amplitude and phase modulation technique (CPS) read the signals produced by microbubbles and dedicated software produced the following parameters on time/intensity (T/I) curves: peak %, time to peak (TTP), mean transit time (MTT), regional blood volume (RBV) and regional blood flow (RBF). Student’s t test was used to calculate the diagnostic accuracy of CE-US parameters compared with histological results. MRI (1.5 T) was performed before and after bolus gadolinium enhancement. Time/intensity curves were generated for all nodules and Fischer’s multimodal score was used to classify them.

Results

Pathology showed 43 nodules (11 benign; 32 malignant). Peak and RBF were the most significant parameters in differential diagnosis, with p values of 0.02 and 0.004, respectively. Positive predictive value (PPV) of CE-US evaluation was 91%, negative predictive value (NPV) was 73% with a high concordance index (k = 0.59) with MRI.

Conclusions

CE-US quantitative analysis offers an objective and reproducible assessment of lesion vascularisation, with good correlation with the results of MRI.
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Metadata
Title
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the characterisation of breast masses: utility of quantitative analysis in comparison with MRI
Authors
Natalia Caproni
Francesca Marchisio
Annarita Pecchi
Barbara Canossi
Rachele Battista
Piero D’Alimonte
Pietro Torricelli
Publication date
01-06-2010
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
European Radiology / Issue 6/2010
Print ISSN: 0938-7994
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1084
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-009-1690-1

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