Diagnostic utility of real-time ultrasound elastography for prediction of malignancy in solid thyroid nodules

Aim of the work

To study the diagnostic utility of real-time ultrasound elastography (USE) in predicting malignancy in thyroid nodules.

Materials and methods

Forty-five patients with solitary solid thyroid nodules were included in this study. The thyroid nodules were examined by B-mode ultrasound, color flow Doppler ultrasound, and real-time ultrasound elastography (USE). The final diagnosis was obtained from histopathological findings. Tissue stiffness on USE was scored from 1 (low stiffness over the entire nodule) to 6 (high stiffness over the entire nodule and surrounding tissue).

Results

Twenty-eight (62.2%) patients had a final diagnosis of malignancy based on histopathological evidence of malignant thyroid nodules, while 17 (37.8%) were diagnosed as benign nodules. Anteroposterior/transverse (AP/T) diameter more than 1 cm, ill-defined margins and spot micro calcifications were the most predictive conventional ultrasound patterns of malignancy. Elasticity score of 4–6 was highly predictive of malignancy (P < 0.0001), with a sensitivity of 89.3%, a specificity of 88.2% and an accuracy of 88.9%.

Conclusion

Ultrasound elastography is an accurate non invasive tool for evaluating thyroid nodules. It has more appropriate value in the differential diagnosis of thyroid malignancy and enhances the diagnostic assurance of ultrasonographers.     

Diagnostic performance of combined elastosonography scoring and high-resolution ultrasonography for the differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules

Aim

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the combined use of elstosonography (USE) scoring and high-resolution ultrasonography (HRUS) for the differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodule.

Patients and methods

Forty-seven consecutive patients with 66 thyroid nodules were enrolled in the present study. Thyroid surgery had been already planned for all the patients. All of them were submitted to high-resolution ultrasonography and elastography scoring at the same sitting. The latter was determined with 5-point scoring method. The examination results were compared against pathological findings as the gold standard of reference.

Results

The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive, and negative predictive values of HRUS in the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules were 92.0%, 72.9%, 60.1%, 95.0%, and 63.1%, respectively, while that of ultrasound elastography scoring were 75.4%, 85.5%, 86.7%, 71.4%, and 90.5%, respectively. Combined use of both US techniques resulted in a higher diagnostic performance as it showed 95.4%, 94.8%, 95.2%, 82.3% and 98.8% sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive, and negative predictive values, respectively.

Conclusions

The use of combined USE and HRS for the differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules resulted in a high diagnostic performance and a significant statistical difference as compared to HRUS or USE alone (P = 0.003).     

The value of virtual touch tissue image (VTI) and virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) in the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules

Objectives

To explore the value of virtual touch tissue image (VTI) and virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) in the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules.

Methods

One-hundred and seven patients with 113 thyroid nodules were performed conventional ultrasound and acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography. The stiffness of the nodules on virtual touch tissue image (VTI) was graded, and the area ratios (AR) of nodules on VTI images versus on B-mode images were calculated. Shear wave velocity (SWV) within the thyroid nodules were measured using virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) technique. The pathological diagnosis as the gold standard draws the receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC) to find the cut-off point of VTI grades, AR and SWV to predict thyroid cancer.

Results

The difference in VTI grades of malignant and benign nodules was statistically significant (P < 0.05), as well as in AR and SWV. There was no significant difference in the AR of nodules or the SWV of nodules in benign group or in malignant group. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of VTI grades, AR, and SWV in the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules were calculated. There was no significant difference in diagnostic accuracy among the three methods.

Conclusion

VTI grades, AR of nodules on VTI images versus on B-mode images and SWV within the nodules can help the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules.     

Efficacy of thyroid ultrasound elastography in differential diagnosis of small thyroid nodules

Objective

To explore the efficacy of thyroid ultrasound (US) elastography in differential diagnosis of small thyroid nodules.

Methods

This HIPAA-compliant study was approved by the Institutional Review Board and all patients provided written informed consent. Thirty-five patients with 38 small thyroid nodules as seen on transverse ultrasound image formed our study population. An US examination and a separate thyroid elastography examination with pulsation from the carotid artery used as the compression source were performed before fine-needle aspiration. Baseband US data were acquired for off-line elastography processing, where a semi-quantitative index for each nodule was calculated. The Kruskal–Wallis nonparametric rank sum test was used to assess equality of population means among the different types of thyroid nodules. Maximum likelihood estimation of the curve parameters for a binomial receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed.

Results

Elasticity contrast index calculated with elastography was effective in distinguishing between small papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTMC, n = 8) and other lesions (n = 30) in small thyroid nodules (p = 0.0036). The area under the ROC curve for diagnosing PTMCs was 0.812 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.653–0.920. The cut-off value of ECI of 3.6 led to a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 60% for detecting PTMCs.

Conclusion

Noninvasive evaluation of small thyroid nodules is possible using thyroid US elastography with in vivo compression to pick out the most suspicious thyroid nodules for fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and avoid FNA in benign nodules.     

Role of combined grey scale US and US tissue elastography in differentiating solid thyroid nodules

Background

Ultrasonographic (US) examination is an accurate method for detecting thyroid nodules, but its use in differentiating between benign and malignant thyroid nodules is relatively low. US elastography has been applied to study the hardness/elasticity of nodules to differentiate malignant from benign lesions thus deviating a significant group of patients from unnecessary FNAB.

Objectives

The aim of the study is to evaluate the validity of combined grey scale US and tissue elastography in differentiating benign form malignant solid thyroid nodules.

Methods

The study included 46 selected patients with solid thyroid nodules according to our inclusion and exclusion criteria. The patients underwent surgery for compressive symptoms or suspicion of malignancy on FNA cytology. US features and tissue elastography were scored according to the Rago criteria (1).

Results

On US elastography: all the 31 cases with a final diagnosis of benign nodule had a score of 1–3, while 14 of 15 (94.1%) with a final diagnosis of carcinoma had a score of 4–5, with a sensitivity of 93.3%, a specificity of 100% and an accuracy of 97.8%. Combined US and elastography reveals that hypoechogenicity/score 4–5 was most predictive of malignancy with sensitivity 80% and specificity 100%; and accuracy 93.4%.

Conclusions

US elastography seems to have great potential as a new tool for differentiating solid thyroid nodules and for recommending FNAC. Combined grey scale US features and US elastography added no significant value when compared with US elastography alone. Further prospective studies are needed.     

Additional value of qualitative strain ultrasound elastography and strain ratio in predicting thyroid malignancy

Objective

To detect if strain ultrasound elastography and strain ratio have additional value to the conventional grey scale ultrasound in predicting thyroid malignancy.

A threshold value in Shear Wave elastography to rule out malignant thyroid nodules: A reality?

Objectives

To evaluate hability of a threshold value in ShearWave™ elastography to rule out malignant thyroid nodules while studying its pertinence in association with morphological signs.

Equipment and methods

148 patients (110 women and 38 men; 52.5 y.o. 15.8) referred for surgery of thyroid nodules underwent standard ultrasound as well as elastography. Characteristics of the morphological signs and maximum elastographic index were calculated in relation to histology. Association of morphological signs alone and then of elastography was also evaluated. One hundred and fifty one nodules were studied on a double-blind basis.

Results

297 nodules were studied. Thirty-five cancers were detected (11.6%). Elastographic index was higher in malignant nodules (115 kPa 60.4) than in benign nodules (41 kPa 25.8) (p < 0.001, Student's t-test). Cut off value of 66 kPa was the best to discriminate malignant nodules with a sensitivity of 80% (CI 95%, 62.5; 90.9) and a specificity of 90.5% (CI 95%, 86.1; 93.6) (p = 0.0001). Association of elastography and morphological ultrasound signs presented a sensitivity of 97% (CI 95%, 83.3; 99.8) and a negative predictive value of 99.5% (CI 95%, 95.6; 99.9). Interobserver reproducibility proved to be excellent with an interclass correlation of 0.97 (CI 95%, 0.96; 0.98) (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The 66 kPa threshold in Shear Wave elastography is the best ultrasound sign to rule out malignant thyroid nodules. The method is simple, quantitative, reproducible and usable in the study of nodules larger than 3 cm. Progress must still be made in the study of calcified nodules and follicular tumors.     

Can real-time ultrasound elastography using the color score and strain ratio differentiate between benign and malignant solitary thyroid nodules?

Background

Solitary thyroid nodule may represent a multitude of thyroid disorders; therefore, detection of whether these nodules are benign or malignant is crucial for patient’s triage.

Objective

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the latest generation of real-time ultrasound elastography (USE) in differentiation between benign and malignant solitary thyroid nodules.

Materials and methods

Thirty consecutive patients who were referred for surgical treatment were prospectively examined by real-time USE. Tissue stiffness on real-time USE was determined with light compression using the standard elastography color scoring system according to Rago criteria ranging from 1 (low stiffness over the entire nodule) to 5 (high stiffness over the entire nodule and surrounding tissue). The strain ratio (normal tissue to lesion strain ratio) was calculated. The histopathological examination of these resected nodules was used as the diagnostic standard of reference.

Results

Scores of 1 and 2 with Rago criteria were highly significant seen in benign nodules, whereas, scores of 4 and 5 with Rago criteria were highly significant seen in malignant nodules (p < 0.001) with a sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of 78.6%, 78.9% and 78.8% respectively. Additionally, the best strain ratio cut-off value for discrimination between benign and malignant nodules by using receiver operating characteristic analysis was 2.20 (area under the curve of 0.861; p value <0.001) with a consequential sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of 85.7%, 90.5% and 88.6% respectively.

Conclusion

Both the color score and the strain ratio are higher in malignant solitary thyroid nodules than those in benign ones. Consequently, real-time USE can be used for the differentiation of benign and malignant solitary thyroid nodules. Eventually, this reduces the number of superfluous surgical procedures on benign thyroid nodules.     

Distinguishing benign from malignant thyroid nodules using thyroid ultrasonography: utility of adding superb microvascular imaging and elastography

Objective

Thyroid nodules are common; however, malignancy is less than 7%. Therefore, additional techniques such as Doppler ultrasonography or elastography are used to improve diagnostic performance of conventional ultrasonography. We want to prospectively investigate the use of additional superb microvascular imaging (SMI) and strain elastography to B-mode ultrasound in thyroid nodules in distinguishing benign from malignant thyroid nodules.

Methods

We analyzed 52 thyroid nodules (malignant = 26, benign = 26) and reviewers scored the likelihood of malignancy for three data sets (i.e., B-mode ultrasonography alone, B-mode ultrasonography + SMI, and B-mode ultrasonography + strain elastography). The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (Az) values, sensitivities, and specificities were compared.

Results

A comparison of the data sets revealed that area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve values were similar without statistical difference. However, on comparing sensitivity and specificity based on the management decision of whether to conduct fine-needle aspiration (FNA) after combining information from all three types of imaging (B-mode ultrasonography + SMI + strain elastography), specificity was significantly higher for the combined technique (34.6%) than for B-mode ultrasonography alone (11.5%), without decrease in sensitivity (P = 0.032).

Conclusion

Additional use of SMI and strain elastography could potentially lead to increase in specificity in thyroid ultrasonography.

     

Elastography ultrasound and questionable breast lesions: Does it count?

Objective

To check possible additional value of using elastography ultrasound in the specification of questionable breast lesions.

Subjects and methods

Questionable breast lesions on gray scale ultrasound examination had been further evaluated by elastography ultrasound in 97 cases with median age of 42 years. The studied lesions were pathologically proven (58 benign and 39 malignant) using true cut tissue/surgical excision biopsy that was considered the gold standard of reference.

Results

Conventional ultrasound categorization before biopsy included: category 3 (probably benign) in 42.3% (n = 41), category 4a (low suspicion of malignancy) in 13.4% (n = 13), category 4b (intermediate suspicion of malignancy) in 16.5% (n = 16) and category 4c (moderate suspicion of malignancy) in 27.8% (n = 27). We had evaluated elastography ultrasound regarding elastography strain scoring and quantitative strain ratio.Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 89.7%, 86.2% and 87.6% for conventional ultrasound, 92.3%, 74.1% and 81.4% for elastogram 5-point scoring method and 87.1%, 89.6% and 88.6% for the calculated strain ratios respectively in the assessment of the examined breast lesions.

Conclusion

Ultrasound elastography, using both qualitative and quantitative methods can improve the performance of conventional B-mode ultrasound and enhance its specificity and accuracy in the diagnosis of questionable (BI-RADS categories 3 and 4) breast lesions.     

The clinical value of ultrasound elastography in predicting malignant thyroid nodules

Objective

This study aims to evaluate the clinical value of ultrasound elastography (USE) in providing information on the nature of the thyroid nodules. This was performed using the elastography score and strain ratio in differentiating thyroid benign and malignant nodules and the histopathological examination was used as the diagnostic standard of reference.

Methods

We examined 84 thyroid nodules in 62 patients with ultrasound elastography. Elastography score was assigned based on a four-point scale according to the classification proposed by Itoh et al. with a score of 1 (low stiffness over the entire nodule) to a score of 4 (high stiffness over the entire nodule). Thyroid strain ratio (normal tissue to lesion strain ratio) was calculated. Histopathological results were the standard reference. The area under the curve (AUC) and the best cut-off point were both obtained using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of both techniques were calculated.

Results

Fifty-four of the 84 nodules had scores of 1 and 2, and 50 of these nodules were diagnosed histopathologically as benign. Thirty of the 84 nodules had a score of 3 and 4, and 21 of these nodules were diagnosed histopathologically as malignant. The scores of 1 and 2 with Itoh criteria were significantly seen in benign nodules, whereas, scores of 3 and 4 were significantly seen in malignant nodules (p < 0.05) with sensitivity 84%, specificity 84.7%, PPV 70%, NPV 92.6% and accuracy 84.5%. The mean SR for the benign nodules and malignant ones was significantly different (2.92 ± 0.96 vs. 4.53 ± 0.82, p < 0.001). With ROC analysis, the best cut-off strain ratio point was 3.5 for differentiating benign and malignant nodules with area under the curve (AUC) = 0.87 (0.8–0.95). The sensitivity of the strain ratio was 88%, while the specificity was 86.4%, PPV = 73.3%, NPV = 94.4% and accuracy = 86.9%.

Conclusions

Both the elastographic score and strain ratio are higher in malignant nodules than those in benign ones. Ultrasound elastography can provide quantitative information on thyroid nodule helping in differentiating benign and malignant ones.     

Role of ultrasound,color doppler,elastography and micropure imaging in differentiation between benign and malignant thyroid nodules

Purpose

To evaluate the role of ultrasound elastography, Doppler and micropure imaging in the assessment of thyroid nodules, using the pathological analysis as the reference standard.

Man to man training: Can it help improve the diagnostic performances and interobserver variabilities of thyroid ultrasonography in residents?

Objective

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the man to man training can improve the diagnostic performances and interobserver variabilities of residents on thyroid ultrasonography.

Materials and methods

A set of 80 quiz cases with ultrasonography images of thyroid nodules (40 benign and 40 malignant on histopathology) were shown to the residents. Residents 1, 2, and 3 had not received the man to man training while Residents 4, 5, 6, and 7 had. The seven residents were asked to fill out one of the ultrasonography features (internal composition, echogenicity, margin, calcification, and shape) and the final assessment (probably benign and suspicious). Thyroid nodules with one or more ultrasonography features including marked hypoechogenicity, microlobulated or irregular margins, microcalcifications, and taller than wide shape were assessed as suspicious nodules. The diagnostic performances of US by the seven residents and interobserver variabilities between the seven residents and a faculty radiologist were calculated.

Results

The sensitivities, negative predictive values, and accuracies of Residents 4, 5, 6, and 7 were higher than those of Residents 1, 2, and 3. The final assessment between Residents 4, 5, 6, and 7 and the faculty radiologist showed almost perfect agreement but that between Residents 1, 2, and 3 and the faculty radiologist showed substantial agreement.

Conclusion

The man to man training is crucial for the residents to show better diagnostic performances and improvement of interobserver variabilities for evaluating thyroid nodules with ultrasonography.     

弹性应变率在甲状腺良恶性结节鉴别诊断中的应用进展

甲状腺结节是临床常见的甲状腺疾病,常规二维甲状腺超声检查约50%的受检者可以发现甲状腺结节,其中约9.2%～14.8%细针穿刺结果为恶性,而临床确诊的甲状腺结节中约5%为恶性。研究表明,常规超声在评价甲状腺结节时有一定的主观性,病变特性在观察者之间无显著的一致性[4],其对结节的良恶性鉴别诊断率则更低,约29.0%～59.2%[5],且甲状腺微小结节更容易漏诊。超声弹性成像是近年来医学超声领域的一种新的具体而客观的技术方法,其能够提供组织弹性这一基本力学属性,是对常规超声进行甲状腺结节良恶性进行鉴别的一种很好的补充,可提高鉴别诊断甲状腺良恶性结节的敏感性、特异度和准确性[6]。超声弹性成像主要有弹性评分法和弹性应变率比值法,弹性评分法已广泛应用于临床,弹性应变率比值作为超声弹性成像量化参数,其相关应用报道目前尚不多见,本文就弹性应变率在鉴别甲状腺结节良恶性中的应用进行综述。     

Shear wave elastography versus real-time elastography on evaluation thyroid nodules: A preliminary study

Objective

To comparatively evaluate shear wave elastography (SWE) and real-time elastography (RTE) in distinguishing malignant from benign thyroid nodules.

Methods

49 patients with 64 focal thyroid nodules were enrolled and underwent SWE and RTE before surgery. SWE elasticity indices (mean, minimum and maximum value of 2-mm region of interest) of nodules were measured. For RTE, elastograms were assessed by Rago criteria and nodules with scores of 4 or 5 were classified as suspicious for malignancy. Surgery histopathologic results were adopted as diagnostic standard.

Results

Of the 64 nodules, 19 were papillary thyroid carcinomas and 45 were benign. SWE indices were significantly higher in malignant than benign nodules (P < 0.05). Areas under the ROC curves (AUC) of SWE parameters were 0.840, 0.831 and 0.788, which were not significantly different from that of RTE showed as 0.880 (P = 0.148–0.482). When the most accurate cut-off, 38.3 kPa for mean value was applied to predict malignancy, the diagnostic specificity, sensitivity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of SWE and RTE were 68.4% versus 79.0%, 86.7% versus 84.4%, 81.3% versus 78.1%, 68.4% versus 64.7% and 86.7% versus 83.3%, respectively (P = 0.683–1.000).

Conclusion

SWE as a promising tool can be performed in differentiating thyroid nodules with comparable results to RTE.     

Value of dynamic sonography in the management of shoulder pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of dynamic high resolution ultrasonography in the detection of abnormalities of rheumatoid arthritis and to find out the value added to the management plan of the disease.

Patients and methods

21 shoulders of rheumatoid arthritis patients complaining of shoulder pain were scanned with ultrasound (static and dynamic) and compared to clinical examination.

Result

The most predictive sign of rheumatoid arthritis was sub-acromial impingement which was screened and graded by ultrasound in (100%). Other US signs included sub-acromial bursitis in 14.2%, biceps teno-synovitis in 52.4%, supraspinatous tendinopathy in 57.1%, supraspinatous partial thickness bursal surface tear in 14.2% and joint effusion in 9.5% of our patients. The combination of more than one finding was of higher sensitivity than isolated sign alone.

Conclusion

Dynamic ultrasound examination for the diagnosis of shoulder impingement in Rheumatoid arthritis should be done in addition to the clinical and static ultrasound examination to improve the management plan.     

Sonography of intrathyroid parathyroid adenomas: Are there distinctive features that allow for preoperative identification?

Objective

The purpose of our study was to determine if intra-thyroid parathyroid adenomas can be accurately identified by applying proposed criteria to preoperative ultrasound examinations in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.

Materials/methods

Fifty-three patients with pathology proven intra-thyroid parathyroid adenomas and pre-operative ultrasounds were identified from a surgical database for a blinded, retrospective review. A contemporary, age-matched cohort of 54 patients with extra-thyroid parathyroid adenomas was identified as a control. A total of 64 patients within these cohorts had co-existing thyroid nodules. Proposed ultrasound criteria for identifying a parathyroid adenoma included solid composition, profound hypoechogenicity, and presence of a feeding polar vessel. Parathyroid adenomas were classified as extra-thyroid or intra-thyroid (partial or complete) based on their relationship with the thyroid gland during ultrasound evaluation and results were compared to surgical and histopathology reports as the gold standard. The results from the blinded, retrospective review during which the proposed, specific ultrasound criteria were applied were compared to the initial, pre-operative reports during which the proposed criteria were not applied. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of the blinded, retrospective review and initial, pre-operative reports were calculated. Additionally, in patients with co-existing thyroid nodules, an attempt was made to differentiate parathyroid adenomas from the thyroid nodules.

Results

Application of the proposed ultrasound criteria during blinded retrospective review yielded a sensitivity and specificity for detecting intra-thyroid parathyroid adenomas of 76% and 92%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound for detecting intra-thyroid parathyroid adenomas on the initial reports was 29% and 95%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity for differentiating an intra-thyroid parathyroid adenoma from a thyroid nodule was 78% and 86%, respectively.

Conclusion

Application of specific ultrasound criteria facilitates pre-operative diagnosis of intra-thyroid parathyroid adenomas and facilitates surgical planning. This large series confirms previous, largely anecdotal reports of ultrasound's utility in detecting intra-thyroid parathyroid adenomas.     

The value of strain ratio in differential diagnosis of thyroid solid nodules

Objective

To assess the clinical value of strain ratio in differentiating thyroid solid nodules and explore its distribution characters based on pathological results.

Materials and methods

The study was approved by the ethic committee and the informed consents were signed. Ninety nine solid thyroid nodules (67 benign and 32 malignant) from 71 female (mean age 46.3 ± 9.8 years) and 28 male (mean age 54.9 ± 11.7 years) patients were evaluated. Five radiologists evaluated the nodules based on a four-degree elastography score system. Strain ratio was calculated on-line. Diagnostic performances of the two evaluations were compared using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves. Values of different pathological nodules were compared by one-way ANOVA.

Results

Areas under the ROC curve (AUC) of the five readers were 0.82, 0.81, 0.79, 0.73 and 0.83, respectively. The AUC of strain ratio evaluation was higher (0.88 vs. 0.79, p < 0.001) than that of the ES score evaluation. Best cut-off points of the two evaluations were 3.5 (82% sensitivity, 72% specificity) and 4.225 (81% sensitivity, 83% specificity), respectively. Both the ES score and strain ratio were higher for malignant nodules than that for benign ones (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Strain ratio was a useful index in differential diagnosis of thyroid solid nodules. It can provide quantitative information on thyroid nodule characterization and improve diagnostic confidence. The best cut-off point for benign and malignant nodules was 4.2.     

The update of ultrasound techniques in diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease

Objective

To evaluate the value of conventional abdominal ultrasound and color Doppler in the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and its complications.

Materials and methods

40 patients suffering from colonic symptoms were evaluated by high resolution ultrasonography and color Doppler scanning.

Results

The accuracy of conventional abdominal ultrasound in detecting inflammatory bowel cases was 80% and the accuracy of color Doppler in detecting the hypervascularity was 75%.

Conclusion

Conventional ultrasound is a widely available non-invasive method for imaging the alimentary gastrointestinal tract. This can provide an important contribution for diagnosis and monitoring of disease activity. Color Doppler sonography has proved to be a valuable method for the assessment of disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease.     

Characterization of breast lesions with CE-MR multimodal morphological and kinetic analysis: comparison with conventional mammography and high-resolution ultrasound

Objective

Evaluation of the diagnostic value of magnetic resonance mammography and comparison with conventional mammography and ultrasonography in cases of women with suspicious breast lesions.

Subjects and methods

Sixty-nine women (age range 39–68 years) with 78 focal breast lesions were examined with mammography, ultrasonography and dynamic magnetic resonance mammography. The lesions were classified according to the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) lexicon of the American College of Radiology for each diagnostic method. Histological reports were available after biopsy or surgical excision of the lesions.

Results

Pathological examination confirmed that 53 lesions were malignant and 25 benign. Conventional mammography estimated a total of 59/78 lesions as malignant with 44 true positive lesions, ultrasonography estimated a total of 50/78 lesions as malignant with 44 true positive lesions and magnetic resonance mammography estimated a total of 66/78 lesions as malignant with 52 true positive lesions. Sensitivity and specificity of magnetic resonance mammography in the diagnosis of malignancy was 98.1% and 44%, of conventional mammography 83% and 40% and of ultrasonography 83% and 76%. Negative predictive value for magnetic resonance mammography was 91.7%, for ultrasonography 67.9% and for mammography 52.6% for malignancies.

Conclusion

Magnetic resonance mammography has the highest negative predictive value compared with mammography and ultrasound in cases of suspicious breast lesions. The combination of morphologic and enhancement criteria can improve the diagnostic capability of magnetic resonance mammography (MRM) in breast lesion characterization.