Radiology, Vol 189, 99-104, Copyright © 1993 by Radiological Society of North America

ARTICLES

Breast diseases: color Doppler US in differential diagnosis

DO Cosgrove, RP Kedar, JC Bamber, B al-Murrani, JB Davey, C Fisher, JA McKinna, WE Svensson, E Tohno and E Vagios
Royal Marsden Hospital, London, England.

PURPOSE: To subjectively and semiquantitatively evaluate color Doppler signals on images of breast lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 5-MHz ultrasound (US) system was used to examine 210 new breast lesions. Signals were evaluated subjectively with an analog scale. A semiquantitative scoring system involved analysis of the average number of vessels per square centimeter and average density of color pixels. RESULTS: Vessels were detected in 57 of 58 cancers (mean, 0.11 vessels per square centimeter, occupying 1.76% of the scan area). Color Doppler scores had no correlation with conventional prognostic indicators such as lymph node status or survival. Fewer vessels per square centimeter (mean, 0.06) occupying a smaller area (mean, 0.41%) were detected in the five fibroadenomas (n = 36) that showed color Doppler signals. Most cases (99 of 104 [96%]) of benign breast changes had no color Doppler signals. CONCLUSION: Color Doppler signals in a lesion otherwise thought to be benign should prompt a biopsy, while the absence of signals in an indeterminate lesion is reassuring.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C.-M. Tiu, Y.-H. Chou, S.-Y. Chiou, C.-Y. Hsu, S. P. Chen, H.-R. Chiang, C.-R. Lai, L.-M. Tseng, H.-K. Wang, and H.-J. Chiou Development of a carcinoma in situ in a fibroadenoma: color Doppler sonographic demonstration. J. Ultrasound Med., October 1, 2006; 25(10): 1335 - 1338. [Full Text] [PDF]

				V R Stewart and P S Sidhu New directions in ultrasound: microbubble contrast. Br. J. Radiol., March 1, 2006; 79(939): 188 - 194. [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. L. del Cura, E. Elizagaray, R. Zabala, A. Legorburu, and D. Grande The Use of Unenhanced Doppler Sonography in the Evaluation of Solid Breast Lesions Am. J. Roentgenol., June 1, 2005; 184(6): 1788 - 1794. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Santamaria, M. Velasco, X. Farre, J. A. Vanrell, A. Cardesa, and P. L. Fernandez Power Doppler Sonography of Invasive Breast Carcinoma: Does Tumor Vascularization Contribute to Prediction of Axillary Status? Radiology, February 1, 2005; 234(2): 374 - 380. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. P. Weinstein, E. F. Conant, C. M. Sehgal, I. P. Woo, and J. A. Patton Hormonal Variations in the Vascularity of Breast Tissue J. Ultrasound Med., January 1, 2005; 24(1): 67 - 72. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Kaushik, T. T. Miller, L. N. Nazarian, and W. C. Foster Spectral Doppler Sonography of Musculoskeletal Soft Tissue Masses J. Ultrasound Med., December 1, 2003; 22(12): 1333 - 1336. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D Cosgrove Angiogenesis imaging - ultrasound Br. J. Radiol., December 1, 2003; 76(suppl_1): S43 - S49. [Full Text] [PDF]

				S-C Chen, Y-C Cheung, Y-F Lo, M-F Chen, T-L Hwang, C-H Su, and S Hsueh Sonographic differentiation of invasive and intraductal carcinomas of the breast Br. J. Radiol., September 1, 2003; 76(909): 600 - 604. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. S. Edeiken, B. D. Fornage, D. G. Bedi, N. Sneige, S. G. Parulekar, and J. Pleasure Recurrence in Autogenous Myocutaneous Flap Reconstruction after Mastectomy for Primary Breast Cancer: US Diagnosis Radiology, May 1, 2003; 227(2): 542 - 548. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. T. Yang, G. M. K. Tse, P. K. W. Lam, C. Metreweli, and J. Chang Correlation Between Color Power Doppler Sonographic Measurement of Breast Tumor Vasculature and Immunohistochemical Analysis of Microvessel Density for the Quantitation of Angiogenesis J. Ultrasound Med., November 1, 2002; 21(11): 1227 - 1235. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. T. Yang, C. Metreweli, P. K. W. Lam, and J. Chang Benign and Malignant Breast Masses and Axillary Nodes: Evaluation with Echo-enhanced Color Power Doppler US Radiology, September 1, 2001; 220(3): 795 - 802. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Ahuja, M. Ying, Y. H. Yuen, and C. Metreweli Power Doppler Sonography to Differentiate Tuberculous Cervical Lymphadenopathy from Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., April 1, 2001; 22(4): 735 - 740. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				M. Stuhrmann, R. Aronius, and M. Schietzel Tumor Vascularity of Breast Lesions: Potentials and Limits of Contrast-Enhanced Doppler Sonography Am. J. Roentgenol., December 1, 2000; 175(6): 1585 - 1589. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. K. Moon, J.-G. Im, D.-Y. Noh, and M. C. Han Nonpalpable Breast Lesions: Evaluation with Power Doppler US and a Microbubble Contrast Agent-Initial Experience Radiology, October 1, 2000; 217(1): 240 - 246. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				W. T. Yang, J. Chang, and C. Metreweli Patients with Breast Cancer: Differences in Color Doppler Flow and Gray-Scale US Features of Benign and Malignant Axillary Lymph Nodes Radiology, May 1, 2000; 215(2): 568 - 573. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				W. A. Berg and P. L. Gilbreath Multicentric and Multifocal Cancer: Whole-Breast US in Preoperative Evaluation1 Radiology, January 1, 2000; 214(1): 59 - 66. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				H. M. Zonderland, E. G. Coerkamp, J. Hermans, M. J. van de Vijver, and A. E. van Voorthuisen Diagnosis of Breast Cancer: Contribution of US as an Adjunct to Mammography Radiology, November 1, 1999; 213(2): 413 - 422. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				N. Taniguchi, K. Itoh, M. Honda, T. Obayashi, M. Nakamura, F. Kawai, and T. Irie Comparative Ultrasonographic and Angiographic Study of Carotid Arterial Lesions in Takayasu's Arteritis Angiology, January 1, 1997; 48(1): 9 - 20. [Abstract] [PDF]

				D. J. Nelsen, G. A. Rouse, and M. De Lange Sonographic Evaluation of Solid Breast Masses Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, November 1, 1994; 10(6): 312 - 316. [Abstract] [PDF]