Elastography Helps Distinguish Malignant from Benign Breast Lesions

Elastography Helps Distinguish Malignant from Benign Breast Lesions

Ultrasound elasticity imaging offers relatively reliable predictions for malignancy of BI-RADS 4 or 5 breast lesions, opening the window for lowering the number of unnecessary biopsies, according to a new study in the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Researchers added ultrasound elastography to magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging (MR DWI). Then, two radiologists evaluated those scores and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values using MR DWI.

Using univariate and multivariate logistic regression, researchers analyzed the diagnostic abilities of the two techniques. In all 115 breast masses, they found the elasticity score to be predictive of malignancy, but not the ADC value. In the 52 BI-RADS 4 masses, the predictive value of the elasticity score was especially significant. In the 63 BI-RADS 5 masses, however, the predictive value of both scores were not significant predictors of malignancy.

With elastography, a lower score notes that the mass is made up of softer tissue, and softer tissue is a good indicator that a mass is benign. “Based on the results of our study, we recommend that patients with BI-RADS 4 masses should undergo biopsy if their ultrasound elasticity score is 4 or 5,” said Hiroko Satake, MD, lead author of the study.

The authors noted that ultrasound elastography should be used as an adjunct to standard sonography and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI.

Elastography Helps Distinguish Malignant from Benign Breast Lesions

View the Latest Issue of TON

Subscribe Today!

I'd like to receive: