[Elastography as an additional tool in breast sonography. Technical principles and clinical applications]

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Diagnostic Ultrasound
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Elastography is increasingly used with sonography for breast mass characterization.
• Free-hand compression elastography offers qualitative stiffness imaging, while shear wave elastography provides quantitative displacement data.
• Previous studies show elastography improves specificity in differentiating benign from malignant breast masses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the role of elastography in improving the diagnostic accuracy of breast mass characterization.
• To assess the potential of elastography in reducing unnecessary biopsies for benign breast lesions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized both free-hand compression elastography and shear wave elastography in conjunction with conventional sonography.
• Analyzed quantitative and qualitative data on tissue stiffness and displacement for breast masses.
• Correlated elastographic findings with biopsy results, focusing on US-BI-RADS category IV lesions.

Main Results:

• Elastography demonstrated improved specificity in differentiating benign from malignant breast masses when combined with sonography.
• Quantitative shear wave elastography provided objective tissue stiffness measurements.
• The study indicated a potential reduction in unnecessary biopsies for benign lesions.

Conclusions:

• The combined use of elastography and sonography is a valuable tool for breast mass characterization.
• Elastography, particularly shear wave elastography, enhances diagnostic accuracy and can help minimize invasive procedures.
• This approach may lead to more efficient patient management, especially for ambiguous lesions like US-BI-RADS category IV.