[Phantom studies of ultrasound equipment for quality improvement in breast diagnosis].
OBJECTIVE
According to the German guidelines for quality control of ultrasonic equipment, the following conditions are required for breast ultrasound: A transducer frequency between 5-7.5 MHz and a minimum field of view of 5 cm. Satisfactory images must be obtained in a depth between 0.5 and 4 cm with a wide tolerance of the focal zones. This allows the use of poor quality equipment which does not produce satisfactory image quality and it excludes a number of high frequency and high resolution transducers with a field of view below 5 cm. This study with a test phantom was performed to define image quality objectively.


METHODS
Sixteen ultrasound instruments in different price categories were used to perform standardized examinations on a breast phantom model 550 (ATS Laboratories, Bridgeport, USA). Contrast and spatial resolution in different penetration depths were investigated on cyst phantoms from 1-4 mm diameter and wire targets with defined distances between 0.5-3 mm 4 investigations reported the images.


RESULTS
A positive correlation was seen between price category and image quality.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that transducer frequency and image geometry do not allow sufficient quality control. An improvement of ultrasound diagnosis is only possible if equipment guidelines are based on standard examinations with test phantoms.
Madjar
H
H
Universitäts-Frauenklinik Freiburg.
Mundinger
A
A
Lattermann
U
U
Gufler
H
H
Prömpeler
H J
HJ
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004867:Equipment Design / Q000191:economics; D005260:Female; D005348:Fibrocystic Breast Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D011786:Quality Control; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014159:Transducers / Q000191:economics; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation*
Phantomuntersuchungen von Ultraschallgeräten zur Qualitätsverbesserung in der Mammadiagnostik.