Impact of parametric imaging on contrast-enhanced ultrasound of breast cancer

• Published in: Journal of medical ultrasonics (2001) 2016-04, Vol.43 (2), p.227-235
• Main Authors: Noro, Aya, Nakamura, Takashi, Hirai, Toshiko, Haga, Masayo, Kobayashi, Toyoki, Hayashi, Akinobu, Kozuka, Yuji, Nakai, Tokiko, Ogura, Toru, Ogawa, Tomoko
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Awards & honors; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Carcinoma - diagnostic imaging; Carcinoma - pathology; Chemotherapy; Comparative analysis; Contrast Media; Correlation; Diagnostic imaging; Female; Ferric Compounds; Hemodynamics; Hospitals; Humans; Imaging; Iron; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Medical imaging; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Observer Variation; Original Article; Oxides; Pathology; Patients; Prospective Studies; Radiology; Single-Blind Method; Software packages; Statistical analysis; Surgery; Tumor Burden; Tumors; Ultrasonic imaging; Ultrasonography, Mammary - methods; Ultrasound; Ultrasound imaging; Visibility
• ISSN: 1346-4523; 1613-2254
• DOI: 10.1007/s10396-015-0692-7

Purpose To prospectively evaluate the usefulness of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) using parametric imaging for breast cancer in a multicenter study. Methods A total of 65 patients with breast cancer were included in this study. CEUS was performed, and still images on peak time (S), accumulated images (A) and parametric images (P) were generated from the raw data. Four blind reviewers ranked the best visible images as first place, and determined second and third place consecutively. We compared the average ranking of each image. The maximal diameter of the tumor determined on ultrasonography and MRI was compared with the corresponding pathological maximal diameter for 48 of the 65 patients. The correlation between the diameter determined by two experts and two beginners was analyzed. Results The average rank of visibility was as follows: P, 1.44; A, 2.04; and S, 2.52. The correlation between each image and the pathology was as follows: P, r  = 0.664; A, r  = 0.630; S, r  = 0.717; and MRI, r  = 0.936. There were no significant differences among the correlation between the experts and beginners in each image. Conclusions The use of parametric imaging improves the visibility of CEUS. The maximal diameter of the tumor determined on CEUS correlates substantially with the pathology.