Current uses of ultrasound in the evaluation of the breast

Ultrasound is an important imaging modality in evaluating the breast. One of the most common uses of ultrasound is to help distinguish benign from malignant breast disease, primarily with gray-scale ultrasound but also with Doppler ultrasound. Another common use is to provide guidance for interventional procedures. Less common uses include assisting in staging of breast cancer and evaluating patients with implants. Recently there has been an interest in using ultrasound to screen asymptomatic women for breast cancer, as is done with mammography. Further studies must be performed to assess if this reduces mortality from breast cancer. Although primarily used to image the female breast, ultrasound also can be used to evaluate breast-related concerns in men. Uses of contrast-enhanced ultrasound are still experimental and would add an invasive component to an otherwise noninvasive study.