Features of preoperative contrast-enhanced ultrasound of breast cancer: relationship with the syndrome classification in traditional Chinese medicine / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the relationship between the features of preoperative contrast-enhanced ultrasound and the differentiation of symptoms and signs for syndrome classification by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighty-two patients with malignant breast tumor were examined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound before the operation. The tumor diameter was greater than 2.0 cm in 48 cases and below 2.0 cm in 34 cases. According to the curative effect standard of TCM disorder, differentiation of symptoms and signs for classification of syndrome were performed, and the ultrasonic manifestations of different syndrome types were compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In patients with maximum tumor diameter < or = 2 cm, Chong and Ren disorder type and liver Qi stagnation type were prevalent. In those with tumor diameter of <2 cm, Zeyi liver Qi stagnation type and virtual drug junction were more common. The mass peak intensity, slope of increase, enhancement intensity index and time-intensity curve of ultrasound differed significant between different syndrome types (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The preoperative ultrasound features of breast cancer are associated with the syndrome types in TCM.</p>

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound findings of breast cancer / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the manifestation of breast cancers of different sizes in contrast-enhanced sonography.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighty-four patients with breast cancers were examined by contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Among them, the tumor diameter was beyond 2.0 cm in 50 cases, and no greater than 2.0 cm in the rest cases. The time-intensity curve (TIC) on the enhanced images was analyzed quantitatively, and the relations between the type of TIC and the enhancement patterns of the tumors were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The enhancement patterns of the breast cancers showed significant difference between patients with tumor diameter beyond 2.0 cm and those with smaller tumors (P<0.01), but the other parameters were comparable between the two groups (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The enhancement patterns of breast cancers differ between tumors with sizes over 2.0 cm and smaller tumors, and differential analysis is suggested in the diagnosis of breast cancer using contrast-enhanced ultrasound.</p>