title: Comparison of transducers with different frequencies in breast contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) using SonoVue as contrast agent.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effectiveness of different transducers in breast contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) using SonoVue(®) (Bracco, Plan-Les-Ouates, Switzerland) as the contrast agent.
  
  
  METHODS
  Breast CEUS was performed in 51 patients with 51 breast lesions using a low-frequency transducer (probe C5-1) and a high-frequency transducer (probe L12-5) separately. All image processes were reviewed for the presence of local blood perfusion defects and surrounding vessels. McNemar's test was conducted to compare the detection effectiveness between these two transducers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pathological results revealed 38 malignant and 13 benign lesions. The two transducers showed no difference in detecting benign lesions. Among malignant lesions, CEUS conducted by probe C5-1 (frequency range from 1 to 5 MHz) presented 23 (60.5%) lesions with local blood perfusion defects and 26 (68.4%) lesions with surrounding vessels. Meanwhile, probe L12-5 (frequency range from 5 to 12 MHz) showed only 12 (31.6%) lesions with local blood perfusion defects and 12 (31.6%) lesions with surrounding vessel. Probe C5-1 was more sensitive than probe L12-5 in detecting malignant CEUS characteristics (p-value < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The low-frequency transducer was more sensitive than the high-frequency transducer in breast CEUS using SonoVue as the contrast agent. A new contrast agent with a higher resonance frequency, specially designed for high-frequency transducers, may be helpful in improving the clinical value of breast CEUS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The first study comparing different frequency transducers in breast CEUS of the same patient lesions. We brought out the requirement for CEUS contrast agents which are more suitable for high-frequency examinations.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Yong-Mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Gastroenterology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Health Care Ultrasound, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Health Science Technology and Management, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001940:Breast / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010743:Phospholipids; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride; D014159:Transducers; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D010743:Phospholipids; C420843:contrast agent BR1; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride