[Value of ultrasonographic grading with high-frequency probes in distinguishing breast tumors].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the value of ultrasonographic grading with high-frequency probes in differentiating benign and malignant breast tumors.


METHODS
Sixty-four women (mean age 44.5-/+13.7 years) with 79 breast tumors underwent high-frequency ultrasonography to examine the tumor number, size, aspect ratio, shape, boundaries, encapsulation, pseudopod, internal and rear echoes, calcifications, blood perfusion, abnormality lymph nodes in the axilla. The tumors were graded based on these findings using a 10-point grading system.


RESULTS
Between the 46 women with benign tumors and 18 with malignant tumors, no significant differences were found in the mean tumor number (1.5-/+1.3 vs 1.1-/+0.3, P>0.05) or size (55.0-/+19.2 mm vs 19.8-/+8.3 mm, P>0.05), but the mean age (41.4-/+12.4 years vs 52.4-/+14.1 years) and ultrasonographic grade (2.8-/+2.2 vs 7.3-/+1.7, P<0.05) differed significantly. The ultrasonographic grade of the breast tumors showed an obvious correlation to the nature of the tumors (r=0.695, P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Grading of breast tumors with high-frequency ultrasonography helps evaluate the nature of the tumors, and a higher score suggests increased probability of malignancy.
Department of Ultrasound, Nanfang Hospital , Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. lmeihong@fimmu.com
Hong-mei
HM
Liu
Feng-lin
FL
Wu
Xia
X
Chen
Chang-sheng
CS
Ye
Yong-jian
YJ
Deng
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult