Sonoelastographic strain ratio: how does the position of reference fat influence it?

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Diagnostic Ultrasound
• Elastography

Background:

• Breast mass characterization relies on imaging techniques.
• Sonoelastography measures tissue stiffness, aiding in lesion differentiation.
• The calculation of sonoelastographic strain ratio may be influenced by reference point selection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of reference fat position on sonoelastographic strain ratio calculations.
• To determine if different reference fat locations affect breast mass elastography results.

Main Methods:

• Evaluated 358 breast masses in 300 women using B-mode ultrasonography and elastography.
• Calculated sonoelastographic strain ratio using two reference fat positions: adjacent fat (FLR 1) and subcutaneous fat (FLR 2).

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference was observed between FLR 1 and FLR 2 values (p=0.077, p=0.0825).
• Over 91% of lesions showed a difference < 0.5 between the two calculation methods.
• A difference < 0.5 was noted in 95.3% of benign and 84% of malignant lesions.

Conclusions:

• The position of reference fat does not significantly alter the sonoelastographic strain ratio.
• Sonoelastography provides reliable strain ratio measurements irrespective of reference fat placement.