Differentiation of solid breast tumors on the basis of their primary echographic characteristics as revealed by real-time scanning of the uncompressed breast.
The visualization of 144 clinically manifest or mammographically visible solid breast tumors was achieved with a hand-held, real-time linear array scanner (5MHz) and open water bath technique. On the basis of descriptive echographic signs and their combination, all 60 patients with benign tumors and 84 patients with malignant tumors were divided into three groups. Each of these groups was based on the combination of the most typical signs for benign or malignant tumors. These combinations make diagnostic criteria lax (presence of two signs--description of shape and border), moderate (combination of size and shape and description of internal echoes) and strict (presence of all previous criteria and characteristics of the tissue behind the tumor). The results are presented in the form of separate ROC curves. The comparison of both curves shows a significantly higher specificity in the determination of malignant tumors than in determination of benign tumors irrespective of the chosen level of diagnostic criteria. On the other hand a comparison of the sensitivity of the method, on the same levels of diagnostic criteria, shows higher values in benign breast tumors.
Vlaisavljević
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Department of Gynaecology, General Hospital Maribor, YU.
D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods