Diffractive ultrasound in the evaluation of solid breast masses: preliminary results

We sought to evaluate diffractive ultrasound (US) in the characterization of solid breast masses.

Forty-eight patients with solid breast masses (24 malignant and 24 benign) observed at conventional US underwent targeted diffractive US before needle biopsy or surgery. The process of locating the lesion was performed with knowledge of the mammography and conventional US. On diffractive US, imaging features, including shape, brightness, echotexture, margin, and boundary echo were analyzed and odds ratio (OR) were calculated to show how the risk of malignancy was altered by the presence of a given finding.

Of the 48 solid breast masses seen on conventional US, 46 (96%) were seen at diffractive US. Diffractive US features suggestive of malignancy were irregular shape (OR 11.5), sono-opacity (OR 204), spiculated margin (OR 17.0), and absent boundary echo (OR 11.5) or thick rim (OR 5.5), whereas those of benignancy were round shape (OR 0.03), sonotransmission (OR 0.07) or isodensity (OR 0.01), well-defined margin (OR 0.03), and thin capsule (OR 0.03; P < 0.05).

The finding of a sono-opaque mass on diffractive US was highly sensitive for malignancy. Further improvement of diffractive US equipment is needed to increase image quality and to permit inclusion of the axillary tail and deep portions of the breast.