Ultrasonographic elastography of the breast using acoustic radiation force impulse technology: preliminary study

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical usefulness of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging for the differential diagnosis of breast lesions.

We studied 40 solid mass lesions from a total of 40 patients (age range 29-67 years, mean 50 years). There were 18 benign lesions and 22 malignant tumors. ARFI imaging was performed using Virtual Touch tissue imaging. We examined the possibility of lesions seen on B-mode images being visually confirmed on ARFI images. When the lesion was visually confirmed, the lesions that were bright or dark inside were classified into patterns 1 and patterns 3, respectively. The lesions that failed to be visually confirmed were classified as pattern 2.

There were 3 pattern 1 lesions and 7 pattern 2 lesions; all of these lesions were benign. The remaining 8 benign lesions and 22 malignant lesions were determined to be pattern 3. The negative predictive value was 100%.

ARFI imaging is a potentially promising ultrasonographic technique for the differential diagnosis of breast lesions, particularly complicated cysts without a cystic component on B-mode images.