Current utilization and future techniques of breast ultrasound

The role of breast sonography has been well defined as a supplement to clinical examination and mammography, but investigative attempts at refining and expanding that role continue. Several recent articles correlate pathologic results with either subjective or objective B-mode findings. The results of these investigations corroborate the conclusions of previous studies, particularly the conclusion that sonography has value in the differentiation of cystic from solid masses. Interest in Doppler ultrasound increased as color flow imaging became widely available, and recent work suggests potential for diagnostic differentiation of solid masses using Doppler technique.