Microvascular architecture of breast lesions: evaluation with contrast-enhanced ultrasonographic micro flow imaging.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of micro flow imaging (MFI) of the microvascular architecture with contrast-enhanced ultrasonography for classification of breast lesions as benign or malignant and the microvascular architectural patterns.


METHODS
Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography and MFI were performed in 61 women with breast lesions. The microvascular morphologic and distribution features of the breast tumors were evaluated with MFI. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of MFI, and the microvascular architectural patterns were analyzed.


RESULTS
Surgical pathologic analysis showed 29 benign and 32 malignant lesions. For MFI, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (A(z)) value for the overall features of the blood vessels for classification of breast lesions was 0.94. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 90.2% (55/61), 93.8% (30/32), and 86.2% (25/29), respectively. The A(z) value for the morphologic and distribution features of peripheral blood vessels was 0.91, which was significantly higher than the A(z) value for the morphologic and distribution features of interior vessels (P= .019). The microvascular architecture of the 61 lesions was categorized into 3 patterns: treelike, root hair-like, and crab claw-like. Benign lesions mainly displayed the treelike pattern (17 [58.6%]); malignant lesions tended to display the crab claw-like pattern (20 [62.5%]); and the root hair-like pattern was shown in both benign and malignant lesions (11 [37.9%] and 8 [25%], respectively). The microvascular architecture showed significant differences between benign and malignant lesions (P< .001).


CONCLUSIONS
Micro flow imaging can clearly delineate the microvascular architecture of breast lesions and can aid in discrimination between benign and malignant breast lesions.
Du
Jing
J
Department of Ultrasound, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 1630 Dongfang Rd, 200127 Shanghai, China.
Li
Feng-Hua
FH
Fang
Hua
H
Xia
Jian-Guo
JG
Zhu
Cai-Xia
CX
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008833:Microcirculation; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010743:Phospholipids; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color
D010743:Phospholipids; C420843:contrast agent BR1; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride