Does 3-D sonography bring any advantage to noninvasive breast diagnostics?

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Oncology

Background:

• Breast diagnostics rely heavily on ultrasound imaging for lesion characterization.
• Traditional two-dimensional (2-D) ultrasound has limitations in fully assessing lesion margins and infiltrative zones.
• Advanced imaging modalities are continuously explored to improve diagnostic accuracy in breast cancer detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively evaluate the advantages of three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound over 2-D ultrasound in breast diagnostics.
• To assess the utility of the 3-D coronal plane for visualizing the infiltrative zone of breast lesions.
• To explore the role of 3-D surface imaging and volumetry in breast lesion assessment.

Main Methods:

• A prospective trial involving 65 women with breast lesions (42 malignant, 23 benign).
• Preoperative examination using both 2-D and 3-D ultrasound.
• Evaluation of the 3-D coronal plane's impact on infiltrative zone visualization compared to 2-D imaging.
• Performance of 3-D surface imaging and volumetry.

Main Results:

• The 3-D coronal plane improved visualization of unclear or non-visible infiltrative zones in a significant number of cases (43.6% where it was not visible on 2-D).
• 3-D surface mode was beneficial for imaging complex breast lesion structures.
• Volumetry demonstrated a highly significant correlation between 2-D and 3-D ultrasound measurements.

Conclusions:

• Three-dimensional ultrasound, as an adjunct to 2-D sonography, enhances the assessment of the infiltrative zone in breast lesions.
• 3-D ultrasound provides improved visualization and accurate data documentation for breast lesion analysis.
• This technology holds promise for improving preoperative breast diagnostics and patient management.