title: Ultrasonographic elastography of the breast using acoustic radiation force impulse technology: preliminary study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical usefulness of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging for the differential diagnosis of breast lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 40 solid mass lesions from a total of 40 patients (age range 29-67 years, mean 50 years). There were 18 benign lesions and 22 malignant tumors. ARFI imaging was performed using Virtual Touch tissue imaging. We examined the possibility of lesions seen on B-mode images being visually confirmed on ARFI images. When the lesion was visually confirmed, the lesions that were bright or dark inside were classified into patterns 1 and patterns 3, respectively. The lesions that failed to be visually confirmed were classified as pattern 2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 3 pattern 1 lesions and 7 pattern 2 lesions; all of these lesions were benign. The remaining 8 benign lesions and 22 malignant lesions were determined to be pattern 3. The negative predictive value was 100%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ARFI imaging is a potentially promising ultrasonographic technique for the differential diagnosis of breast lesions, particularly complicated cysts without a cystic component on B-mode images.
authors.affiliation: Breast Center, Kameda Medical Center, 929 Higashi-cho, Kamogawa 296-8602, Japan. e-tozaki@keh.biglobe.ne.jp
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tozaki
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Isobe
authors.forename: Miki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Yukari
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Kanako
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Homma
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Chanwoong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.forename: Eisuke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fukuma
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary / Q000379:methods*