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Updated: Jul 15, 2026
Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Breast Cancer-related Lymphedema
Published on: January 12, 2017
Distinction between well-differentiated liposarcoma and intramuscular lipoma by power Doppler ultrasonography
Hiroyuki Futani1, Tokuyoshi Yamagiwa, Hitoshi Yasojimat
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hyogo College of Medicine, 1-1 Mukogawa Nishinomiya, Hyogo 663-8501, Japan. h-futani@hyo-med.acjp
Background:
This study evaluates the feasibility of ultrasonography in the distinction between well-differentiated liposarcoma (WDLS) and intramuscular lipoma (IL).
Materials And Methods:
Three WDLSs and 9 ILs were included. Gray scale images were assessed for echogenicity, textural pattern and margins. Power Doppler ultrasonography was used to assess the number of detectable flow velocity signals in a 3 x 3 cm area. Furthermore, the ratio of the area occupied by colour flow signals relative to the selected area was determined.
Results:
Gray scale images showed no differences between WDLSs and ILs. However, power Doppler showed more than 2 flow velocity signals in all WDLSs, whereas only 11% of the ILs had 2 signals. In all WDLSs, colour flow signals occupied more than 30% of the selected area. In contrast, ILs were characterized by a low color-dot ratio. Histologically, increased vascularity was found close to malignant cell invasions.
Conclusion:
Power Doppler ultrasonography is feasible to evaluate increased vascularity and thus differentiate WDLSs from ILs.
