Evaluation of breast nodules with echo colour Doppler sonography: preliminary findings

The authors report the results of using colour Doppler sonography in the evaluation of breast pathology. In particular, 65 solid breast masses were examined by mammography, sonography and colour Doppler. Thirty-eight lesions were proved histologically and 27 cytologically. The lesions had an average diameter of 17 mm (range 6–40 mm). Colour Doppler sonography demostrated the presence of vascularisation in 94.4% of breast cancers while this finding was noted in only 41.4% of benign lesions. Bidirectional blood flow was present in 94.1% of carcinomas compared with 50% of fibroadenomas, and irregular blood flow figured in 61.8% of malignant lesions compared with 8.3% of the benign lesions. In 60% of cancers in which neovascularisation was present, the colour Doppler signals occupied more than 10% of the area of the lesion; in contrast, benign masses were characterised by a low colour dot-nodular area ratio. These preliminary results using colour Doppler did not allow sensitivity and specificity values to be quantified and compared with those for traditional breast imaging techniques; however, we think colour Doppler may be very useful in adding dynamic information to the mammographic and sonographic morphological examinations. Correspondence to: G. M. Giuseppetti     

Evaluation of breast lesions by power Doppler sonography

The aim of this study was to determine the value of power Doppler sonography in the detection of tumor vascularity in breast lesions and to find new diagnostic criteria for differential diagnosis. Power Doppler sonography was prospectively performed in 102 patients with 118 histologic (n = 116) and cytologic (n = 2) results. A semisubjective scoring system for the intratumoral increase in blood flow compared with the flow in normal breast parenchyma (reference structure) was introduced and the flow pattern registered. The difference in the flow increase for benign and malignant breast disease was highly significant (p≤ 0.0001). This applied especially to invasive cancer above a maximum tumor diameter of 5 mm excluding cancer stage Tis and T1 a. A positive correlation between cancer size and flow increase were found. The flow pattern was an additional feature. The sensitivity was calculated to be between 74.5 and 78.8 %, and the specificity between 74.6 and 77.8 %. The level of flow increase in Power Doppler sonography is an important feature in the differential diagnosis of breast lesions and should be considered together with the established criteria in B-mode ultrasound. The flow pattern might also add some important information. Received: 3 March 2000 Revised: 7 August 2000 Accepted: 26 September 2000     

Amplitude-coded color Doppler: clinical applications

Amplitude-coded color Doppler sonography (ACD) has become an useful adjunct to gray-scale US and conventional color Doppler sonography (CD) for the assessment of vascular diseases and pathologic conditions that might affect or alter tissue vascularization or perfusion. Basically, all US units that generate conventional color Doppler information through autocorrelation technique are capable of displaying ACD. This technique is also referred to as power Doppler, amplitude-mode color Doppler US, color Doppler energy (CDE), or US angiography. Amplitude-coded color Doppler sonography has already emerged as a valuable adjunct to conventional CD, particularly for evaluating flow in parts of the body where CD signal is weak because of slow flow, small blood vessels, or both. Received: 1 December 1997; Revision received: 26 March 1998; Accepted: 2 June 1998     

高频彩色多普勒超声在乳腺肿瘤诊断中的应用价值

目的探讨高频彩色多普勒超声对鉴别乳腺良恶性肿块的应用价值。方法对86例经手术病理确诊的乳腺疾病患者（56例良性,30例恶性）进行术前彩超检查,对比性分析了两组间高频声像图、彩色多普勒血流成像（CDFI）、病灶内血流Adler分级、阻力指数（RI）、峰值流速（PSV）的差异。结果乳腺良恶性肿块声像图鉴别以肿块边界及形态特征最重要,彩色多普勒显示乳腺癌内的血流较良性肿块明显丰富（P〈0．05）,乳腺癌的血管分布异常、频谱多普勒示肿块内动脉血流PSV、RI也是显著高于良性肿块且有显著性差异（P〈0．05）。结论综合分析和评价血流Adler分级及频谱多普勒各项血流动力学参数（PSV,RI）指标,有助于对乳腺良恶性肿块的鉴别。     

鼻咽癌肝转移超声诊断的价值

目的探讨二维及彩色多普勒超声诊断鼻咽癌肝转移的价值.材料与方法回顾性分析6例19个鼻咽癌肝转移病灶的二维及彩色多普勒声像图特征.结果鼻咽癌肝转移二维超声表现为以囊性为主的囊实混合性回声或囊肿样回声.囊壁多不规则增厚、囊内有分隔或囊壁上有乳头样结节样实性突起.5例为多发病灶.6例彩色多普勒均于瘤内或壁上引出动脉血流信号,其中5例为高速动脉血流(流速＞40cm/s)结论鼻咽癌肝转移表现以囊性为主的囊实混合性肿块或囊肿样回声,彩色多普勒在病灶内引出高速动脉血流信号为鼻咽癌肝转移与肝脏良性囊性病变的鉴别诊断提供了重要依据.     

Therapeutic embolization of high-flow priapism 1 year follow up with color Doppler sonography

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of color Doppler sonography (CDS) for the diagnosis of high-flow priapism and the treatment of cavernosal arterial fistula via super-selective arterial embolization.

Methods and materials

We reviewed eight cases of high-flow priapism with cavernosal arterial fistula, from 2005 to 2011. All of the patients were diagnosed with a high-flow priapism and unilateral artery fistula via CDS. Conventional treatments for the eight cases were unsuccessful, and the patients were then treated through super-selective embolization. Diagnostic angiograms of the internal iliac artery showed a fistula on one side of the cavernosal artery, thus confirming the CDS images. We compared hemodynamic parameters including the peak systolic velocity, end diastolic velocity the resistance index of the pathological cavernosal artery and intracavernosal pressure in all patients before and after treatment using t-test. The efficacy of super-selective embolization and the erectile function of all patients were evaluated at a follow-up time of 12 months.

Results

All patients were successfully treated and angiography showed that the fistulas disappeared after treatment. Additionally significant differences were found in the peak systolic velocity, the end diastolic velocity, the resistance index and intracavernosal pressure between pre-treatment and post-treatment (P < 0.05). At 5 days post-treatment, only one case relapses had occurred. Seven cases displayed restored erectile function and only one case exhibited erectile dysfunction.

Conclusion

Color Doppler sonography is a highly sensitive method for the examination of high-flow priapism, and super-selective embolization is a safe and effective treatment for cavernosal arterial fistula.     

Tumor vascularization: assessment with duplex sonography

In this prospective study, the authors examined 123 patients with benign or malignant neoplasms (breast cancer, n = 44; liver neoplasms, n = 43; and tumors affecting other organs, n = 36) to establish general criteria for evaluation of neoplastic lesions by means of duplex sonography. The frequency shifts determined by means of different Doppler frequencies (2.31 or 3.75 MHz) were converted into flow velocities. Only the highest systolic peak flow velocity obtained from a lesion was used for statistical evaluation. Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that a flow velocity of 0.4 m/sec is the optimal threshold value with which to differentiate benign from malignant tumors. The data obtained in all lesions indicated that only positive findings are potentially reliable. It is concluded that negative results of sonography should not be used to diagnose the presence of a benign lesion. The resistive index of the tumors was of negligible importance.     

Vascular soft-tissue tumors in infancy: distinguishing features on Doppler sonography

OBJECTIVE: We describe the sonographic appearance and vascularization of three types of vascular tumors, including hemangioendothelioma, tufted angioma, and infantile myofibromatosis, and we determine whether vessel density and peak systolic shift can distinguish these tumors from angiomas and differentiate between the subtypes of these three entities. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Our study included 16 infants with vascular tumors, other than hemangiomas, who were to undergo biopsy. We used gray-scale sonography to identify calcifications, to evaluate the borders of the lesions to determine whether they were poorly defined or well defined, and to determine the echogenicity relative to the surrounding soft tissue. Doppler sonography served to determine the number of vessels per square centimeter and the peak arterial Doppler shift. Sonographic findings were compared with the final diagnoses established by biopsy. RESULTS: The final diagnoses included five hemangioendotheliomas, six tufted angiomas, and five infantile myofibromatoses. Hemangioendotheliomas and tufted angiomas were ill defined compared with infantile myofibromatoses that were well defined. Only one vascular tumor, a hemangioendothelioma, fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of hemangioma. Tufted angiomas and infantile myofibromatoses were the least vascularized, with the lowest vessel density (zero to two vessels per square centimeter) and a relatively low systolic Doppler shift (0.7-1.0 kHz). CONCLUSION: The vascular tumors-hemangioendotheliomas, tufted angiomas, and infantile myofibromatoses-were distinguishable from hemangiomas on Doppler sonography in all cases except one hemangioendothelioma. Unlike hemangiomas, these lesions should be investigated by biopsy or excision.     

Color Doppler sonography of benign and malignant ovarian masses.

The use of transvaginal and transabdominal color Doppler sonography for the assessment of ovarian tumor vascularity was investigated in 62 cases of surgically excised and histologically examined ovarian masses. The modality was used to differentiate tumor neovascularity from normal arterioles (which contain smooth muscle in their media) on the basis of differences in the pulsatility observed in Doppler waveforms. Of the 25 malignant tumors in the series, 20 had low-impedance flow (pulsatility index of less than 1.0), and none had the diastolic notch seen in vessels in normal tissue. Three benign lesions, including two dermoid cysts and one tubo-ovarian abscess, also had low-impedance flow. The negative predictive value of color Doppler sonography was 98%, whereas the positive predictive value was 83%. Color Doppler sonography seems to be accurate for excluding malignancy, but some misdiagnosis may occur in cases of inflammatory and metabolically active benign masses.     

Vascularization of malignant and benign skin tumours measured by D-galactose-based signal-enhanced colour Doppler sonography

Purpose: Evaluation of colour Doppler criteria to differentiate between malignant and benign skin tumours on the basis of the degree of vascularization.Material and Methods: The B-mode sonomorphology and the degree of vascularization in colour Doppler of 81 clinically potentially malignant tumours of cutaneous and subcutaneous structures were analyzed and quantified by number of intratumoral vessels per sonographic slice and percentage vessel area.Results: Of all criteria employed, counting the intratumoral vessels visible on one ultrasound slice after application of a signal-enhancing agent led to highest sensitivity (94%) of all used criteria but the specificity was poor (64%). The highest specificity (88%) and greatest diagnostic accuracy (86%) discriminating benign and malignant lesions were found using the criterion "percentage vessel area >5.0%" after all inflamed lesions had been excluded on the basis of clinical criteria. Plain colour Doppler increased the specificity up to 97%, although the sensitivity decreased simultaneously to max. 75%. Analysis of the B-mode morphology and spectral Doppler parameter of intratumoral vessels did not contribute to the differential diagnosis.Conclusion: Signal-enhanced colour Doppler sonography is a valuable tool in the pretherapeutic assessment of cutaneous lesions. This method may be relevant for therapy and prognosis.     

Power Doppler sonography of hepatocellular carcinoma treated by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization. Assessment of the therapeutic effect

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of power Doppler sonography (PDS) in assessing the therapeutic effect of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: TACE was performed in 43 patients (48 lesions) with HCC. All patients were examined with both PDS and color Doppler sonography (CDS) to assess the therapeutic results 1 week after TACE. Follow-up hepatic angiography was performed in 39 patients 3-4 months after TACE and then CT after iodized oil reinjection was also performed 3-4 weeks after a repeat TACE; in the remaining 4 patients, hepatectomy was performed within one month after chemoembolization and histologic study was undertaken to confirm the Doppler findings. RESULTS: Determination of therapeutic results with PDS and CDS were in agreement with those of follow-up findings in 37 and 29 of the 48 lesions, respectively. There was a significant difference in overall accuracy (p=0.038) between PDS and CDS results. CONCLUSION: PDS is more effective than CDS for evaluating changes in tumor vascularity after TACE. PDS may also replace angiography in assessing the therapeutic effects of TACE for HCCs, except in deep-seated areas.     

彩色多普勒能量图对卵巢肿瘤血流的研究

目的应用彩色多普勒能量图观察卵巢肿瘤的血流特征,以探讨其临床价值。材料与方法超声检查265例卵巢肿瘤患者293个病灶,所有病例均经手术获病理组织学证实。结果本组92.9％的卵巢癌显示肿瘤内血流,其中81.9％血流呈弥散分布。46.7％的卵巢良性肿瘤无血流显示,47.2％为包膜周边点状、带状单支规则血流。良恶性卵巢病灶的血流显示比较,相差极显著(P＜0.01)。结论彩色多普勒能量图能够直观地描述卵巢肿物的灌流状态,对于卵巢良恶性肿瘤的鉴别诊断有重要的参考价值。     

The use of unenhanced Doppler sonography in the evaluation of solid breast lesions

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of our study were to investigate differences in Doppler sonography features between benign and malignant breast lesions and between malignant lesions with different prognostic factors and to propose diagnostic criteria for Doppler sonography of breast lesions. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We performed power and duplex Doppler sonography examinations in 826 breast lesions scheduled for sonographically guided core needle biopsy. Lesion vascularity, pulsatility index (PI), and resistive index (RI) of the vessels detected were analyzed and correlated with histologic results. RESULTS: Color flow was more frequently seen in malignant (237/348 lesions, 68%) than in benign (171/478, 36%) lesions (p < 0.001). However, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for this sign were low (68%, 64%, 58%, and 73%, respectively). The RI and PI values were significantly higher (p < 0.001) in cancers. Although an overlap in these values between benign and malignant lesions was observed, all but one nodule with an RI of greater than 0.99 (those with null or inverted diastolic flow) or a PI of greater than 4 were malignant. No significant relationship was found between PI, RI, or flow visualization on power Doppler sonography and tumor grade or lymph node involvement in cancers. CONCLUSION: Flow visualization on power Doppler sonography indicates a higher possibility of malignancy but is not useful as the main sign for malignancy. However, any lesion with a vessel that has an RI value greater than 0.99 or a PI value greater than 4 within it must be considered as probably malignant regardless of any other sonography sign present. Doppler findings are not useful to predict tumor grade or lymph node involvement.     

Patients with breast cancer: differences in color Doppler flow and gray-scale US features of benign and malignant axillary lymph nodes

PURPOSE: To document differences in color Doppler flow and gray-scale ultrasonographic (US) features between benign and malignant axillary lymph nodes in women with primary breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The longitudinal-transverse axis ratio and hilar status on color Doppler flow and gray-scale US images were prospectively studied for each of 145 axillary nodes in 135 women (74 palpable nodes in 69 women, 71 nonpalpable nodes in 66 women) with primary breast cancer. Intranodal flow distribution was described as peripheral, central, or central perhilar. Resistive and pulsatility indexes and peak systolic velocity were documented. For comparison of benign and malignant features, nodes were divided into three groups: palpable and nonpalpable, palpable, and nonpalpable. RESULTS: Color flow was demonstrated equally well in benign and malignant axillary lymph nodes for all three groups. For all nodes, peripheral flow was significantly higher in malignant (118 of 153 nodes [77%]) than benign (45 of 160 nodes [28%]) nodes (P <.001); central flow and central perhilar flow were significantly greater (P <.002 and <.001, respectively) in benign than malignant nodes. Similar differences were not observed in nonpalpable nodes. The mean longitudinal-transverse axis ratio (+/- SD) was significantly lower in malignant (1.8 +/- 0.6) than benign (2.6 +/- 0.8) nodes. Logistic regression analysis showed peripheral, central, and central perhilar flow and the mean longitudinal-transverse axis ratio to be significant independent predictors of malignancy. CONCLUSION: Color Doppler flow and gray-scale US features applicable to the identification of disease in palpable axillary nodes in patients with breast cancer are not applicable to nonpalpable nodes.     

A prospective study of three diagnostic sonographic methods in differentiation between benign and malignant salivary gland tumours

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of three diagnostic sonographic methods, greyscale sonography (GSS), colour Doppler sonography (CDS) and spectral Doppler (SPD), in differentiating between benign and malignant salivary gland (SG) tumours.

Methods

44 patients with SG masses were examined using GSS, CDS and SPD. The morphological features of each tumour were evaluated using GSS, the distribution and number of detected blood vessels were assessed using CDS, and peak systolic velocity (PSV), resistive index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI) were measured on SPD. All cases underwent excisional biopsy and a definite tissue diagnosis was obtained.

Results

Histopathological examination revealed that 28 of the 44 tumours were benign and 16 were malignant. GSS showed that malignant SG tumours had a significantly higher incidence of ill-defined borders and lymph node involvement than benign tumours, but there was no significant difference between benign and malignant SG tumours regarding echogenicity, homogeneity or sonographic shape. CDS demonstrated malignant tumours with significantly higher vascularity and a scattered distribution. Using SPD, malignant tumours had significantly higher PSV, RI and PI compared with benign tumours.

Conclusion

RI values above 0.7, PI values above 1.2, PSV values above 44.3 cm s^–1, ill-defined borders, lymph node involvement, Grade 2 or 3 vascularity and hilar distribution of blood vessels should alert the clinician to suspect a malignant SG tumour. After consensus on the threshold values of PSV, RI and PI in differentiating benign from malignant SG tumours, these numbers should be incorporated into the software of ultrasound machines to guide the sonographer in his or her analysis.     

Characterization of benign and malignant solid breast masses in harmonic 3D power Doppler imaging

Purpose

The authors assessed the characteristics of benign and malignant solid breast tumors in harmonic three-dimensional (3D) power Doppler imaging and proposed decision models to classify benign and malignant breast tumors.

Materials and methods

A total of 86 malignant and 97 benign harmonic 3D power Doppler US images were analyzed. All the harmonic 3D power Doppler images were obtained using a Voluson730 US system (GE, Zipf, Austria) equipped with a RSP 6-12 transducer and tissue harmonic imaging modalities. Imaging analysis was performed using the Virtual Organ Computer-aided Analysis (VOCAL)-imaging program. Histogram indices, the vascularization index (VI), flow index (FI) and vascularization-flow index (VFI), were calculated for the intra-tumor and for shells with an outside thickness of 3 mm surrounding the breast tumors. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated to estimate the diagnostic performances.

Results

The results revealed that the choice of decision model comprised the parameters of patient age, intra-tumor VI, and tumor volume to classify benign and malignant breast tumors. The area under the ROC curve (Az) was 0.910, accuracy was 81.4%, and sensitivity and specificity were 81.4% and 81.4%, respectively. The parameter intra-tumor VI was the choice for all of the histogram indices in differentiating between malignant and benign lesions.

Conclusion

The decision model, which was composed of patient age, tumor volume and intra-tumor VI, and a cut-off value for intra-tumor VI at the upper end of patient age and tumor volume, was recommended in clinical application.     

彩色多普勒超声对鉴别良恶性肾肿瘤的意义

目的探讨彩色多普勒超声（CDUS）对鉴别肾脏良、恶性肿瘤的意义。方法32例由手术病理证实的肾肿瘤患者（23例肾细胞癌，6例肾盂移行细胞癌，以及3例肾错构瘤）均经CDUS检查，首先分析其二维声像图特征，其次测量其肾动脉峰值血流速度及阻力指数，并将良、恶性患者的测量均值进行比较。结果肾脏良、恶性肿瘤具有不同的声像图特征，恶性肿瘤患者肾动脉峰值流速高于良性肿瘤患者，RI低于良性肿瘤患者。在32例中，CDUS定位诊断准确率为100％，2例恶性肿瘤被误诊为良性肿瘤，2例良性肿瘤被误诊为恶性肿瘤，CDUS的诊断敏感性为93．5％，特异性33．3％，准确性87．5％。结论CDUS，尤其是彩色多普勒血流显像（CDFI）技术对肾动脉血流参数的检测及对肿瘤内血流分布的评价，在鉴别肾脏良、恶性肿瘤中起重要作用。     

彩色多普勒超声诊断直立性蛋白尿患儿胡桃夹综合征的价值

目的: 评价彩色多普勒超声诊断直立性蛋白尿患儿胡桃夹综合征的应用价值.材料和方法: 直立性蛋白尿患儿与健康儿童(各30例),平卧位及站立15min后站立位,分别测量左肾静脉最窄及最宽处内径(a、b)、峰值流速(Va、Vb ),计算b/a,Va /Vb并做统计学分析.结果: 平卧位时患儿组b/a＞3占93.3%(28/30),Va/Vb＞4占73.3%(22/30),健康组分别为10.0%(3/30),6.7%(2/30);站立15min后,患儿组b/a＞5占80.0%(24/30),Va /Vb＞6占60.0%(18/30),健康组各比值无显著性变化.以上两组对照差异显著(P＜0.05).结论: 彩色多普勒超声能为直立性蛋白尿患儿是否存在胡桃夹综合征提供可靠的诊断依据.     

彩色多普勒血流显像和脉冲多普勒技术对乳腺肿块的诊断作用

目的 探讨彩色多普勒血流显像和脉冲多普勒超声在乳腺肿块诊断中的应用价值。方法 对90例乳腺肿块行彩色多普勒血流显像和脉冲多普勒血流研究，测量其血流参数。结果 乳腺恶性肿块内收缩期峰值血流速度（Vp)、阻力指数（RI）、搏动指数（PI）均高于良性肿块，两组间有显性差异（P＜0.01)。结论 在乳腺肿块诊断中，彩色多普勒血流显像和脉冲多普勒技术是一种简便、有效的辅助检查方法。     

Differential diagnosis of lymphadenopathy: power Doppler vs color Doppler sonography

Our objective was to compare color and power Doppler sonography of superficial lymph nodes. One hundred ninety-three lymph nodes in 161 patients were assessed by color and power Doppler sonography using standardized settings. We tested which modality displayed more intranodal vessels and checked if these differences would have altered the diagnosis. Additional vessels were seen by color Doppler sonography in 18 nodes and by power Doppler sonography in 58 nodes. Amongst those nodes were 15 nodes which showed no vascularization in color Doppler sonography and 23 nodes with only few intranodal flow signals; however, the better sensitivity of power Doppler sonography had no impact on the diagnosis in 42 of 58 nodes. Diagnostic confidence was increased in 7 nodes which showed normal vessels only in power Doppler sonography, although missing flow signals were defined as a benign finding. Pathological vessels were displayed only by power Doppler sonography in 9 nodes, but 6 of these 9 results proved to be false positive. Power Doppler sonography displays more intranodal flow signals than color Doppler sonography, but the diagnostic impact is low because of an increased risk of false-positive results.