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Tissue harmonic imaging: utility in breast sonography
Kazimierz T Szopinski1, Anna M Pajk, Maciej Wysocki
1Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Second Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland. kazszo@poczta.onet.pl
Summary
Tissue harmonic imaging significantly enhances breast lesion visualization and characterization compared to fundamental frequency sonography. This advanced technique improves gray scale contrast, aiding in better lesion detection and definition.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging
- Radiology
- Breast Sonography
Background:
- Conventional breast sonography is crucial for detecting focal breast lesions.
- Limitations exist in differentiating lesions from surrounding breast tissue using fundamental frequency imaging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of tissue harmonic imaging (THI) on focal breast lesion visualization.
- To compare gray scale contrast between lesions and fatty tissue using THI versus fundamental frequency sonography.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 219 female patients and 254 breast lesions.
- Acquisition of both fundamental frequency and THI images using a 7.5-MHz linear probe.
- Quantitative analysis of gray scale intensity and contrast between lesions and adjacent fatty tissue.
Main Results:
- THI improved gray scale contrast in 90.6% of lesions (P < .001) compared to fundamental imaging.
- Contrast enhancement was more pronounced in fatty or mixed breast compositions.
- Improved conspicuity, border definition, content definition, and acoustic shadow detection were observed with THI.
Conclusions:
- Tissue harmonic imaging serves as a valuable adjunct to conventional breast sonography.
- THI demonstrates potential to improve both lesion detectability and characterization in breast imaging.