The B-mode Sonography and Sonoelastographic Features of Sclerosing Adenosis of the Breast

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the B-mode sonographic and sonoelastographic features of high risk lesions of the breast. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From April 2009 to February 2010, 1390 patients with breast lesions underwent US-guided core-biopsy. Among them, 13 lesions were confirmed to be pure sclerosing adenosis by subsequent surgical excision or on imaging follow-up of more than 1 year. Two radiologists retrospectively analyzed the B-mode sonography according to the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System classification. The sonoelastographic images were classified into 5 elasticity scores according to the Itoh classification and the strain ratio between the mass and the surrounding fat tissue was reviewed. We considered the sonoelastographic patterns to be suspicious for the case with a score of 4 and 5 and a strain ratio of more than a 2.24. RESULTS: The common B-mode sonographic features of sclerosing adenosis were an irregular shape (69.2%, 9 of 13), an indistinct margin (92.3%, 12 of 13), hypoechogenicity (76.9%, 10 of 13) and category 4A, a low suspicion of malignancy (61.5%, 8 of 13). The common sonoelastographic features were a score of 2 (42%, 6 of 13) and a strain ratio < 2.24 (69.2%, 9 of 13). CONCLUSION: Sclerosing adenosis showed suspicious B-mode sonographic findings, but it had benign sonolastographic features.