Colour Doppler studies of axillary node metastases in breast carcinoma

Colour Doppler scans were carried out on 80 patients with breast carcinoma. Both the tumour and the lower axilla were scanned in all 80 patients. Seventy-five patients subsequently underwent axillary lymph node dissection and histological examination. The sensitivity of colour Doppler scanning for axillary node involvement was 70%, with a specificity of 98% and a positive predictive value of 96%.