[Angiogenetic capacity of breast neoplasms and correlation with color-Doppler semiology]

The authors correlated the presence/absence of color signal-as shown by color-Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS) in 22 cases of breast carcinoma-with lesion angiogenesis potentials, as evaluated in the histologic sections with the determination of the microscopic angiogenesis grading system (MAGS) index. In all 4 cases in which CDUS showed no color signal, MAGS index value exceeded 30, which is suggestive of high neoplastic neoangiogenesis potentials. In contrast, in 17 of 18 cases positive to CDUS, MAGS index value remained below 30 and the microscopic analysis showed the presence of many fresh vessels more than 1 mm in caliber. Consequently, the presence of color signals at CDUS exams may be related to the features of tumor feeding vessels and therefore a negative CDUS exam cannot be considered as a reliable sign to exclude a malignant lesion.