The antiangiogenic effects of a vascular endothelial growth factor decoy receptor can be monitored in vivo using contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging.

The development of antiangiogenic therapies has stimulated interest in noninvasive imaging methods to monitor response. We investigated whether the effects of a vascular endothelial growth factor decoy receptor (VEGF Trap, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY) could be monitored in vivo using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS). Twenty nude mice (in two groups) were implanted with a human melanoma cell line (DB-1). The active group received VEGF Trap (4 × 25 mg/kg over 2 weeks), whereas the control group received an inactive protein. An ultrasound contrast agent was injected followed by power Doppler imaging (PDI) and pulse inversion harmonic imaging (PIHI; regular and intermittent). Specimens were sectioned in the same planes as the images and stained for endothelial cells (CD31), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), VEGF, and hypoxia (Glut1). Measures of tumor vascularity obtained with the different imaging modes were compared to immunohistochemical markers of angiogenesis. Mean tumor volume was smaller in the active group than in the control group (656 ± 225 vs 1,160 ± 605 mm3). Overall, PDI and VEGF correlated (r  =  .34; p =  .037). Vascularity decreased from control to treated mice with intermittent PIHI, as did the expression of CD31 and COX-2 (p ≤ .02), whereas VEGF increased (p  =  .05). CEUS appears to allow in vivo monitoring of the antiangiogenic effects of VEGF Trap in the DB-1 human melanoma xenograft model.

Correlation of ultrasound contrast agent derived blood flow parameters with immunohistochemical angiogenesis markers in murine xenograft tumor models.

PURPOSE: In this study we used temporal analysis of ultrasound contrast agent (UCA) estimate blood flow dynamics and demonstrate their improved correlation to angiogenesis markers relative to previously reported, non-temporal fractional vascularity estimates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Breast tumor (NMU) or glioma (C6) cells were implanted in either the abdomen or thigh of 144 rats. After 6, 8 or 10 days, rats received a bolus UCA injection of Optison (GE Healthcare, Princeton, NJ; 0.4 ml/kg) during power Doppler imaging (PDI), harmonic imaging (HI), and microflow imaging (MFI) using an Aplio ultrasound scanner with 7.5 MHz linear array (Toshiba America Medical Systems, Tustin, CA). Time-intensity curves of contrast wash-in were constructed on a pixel-by-pixel basis and averaged to calculate maximum intensity, time to peak, perfusion, and time integrated intensity (TII). Tumors were then stained for four immunohistochemical markers (bFGF, CD31, COX-2, and VEGF). Correlations between temporal parameters and the angiogenesis markers were investigated for each imaging mode. Effects of tumor model and implant location on these correlations were also investigated. RESULTS: Significant correlation over the entire dataset was only observed between TII and VEGF for all three imaging modes (R=-0.35, -0.54, -0.32 for PDI, HI and MFI, respectively; p<0.0001). Tumor type and location affected these correlations, with the strongest correlation of TII to VEGF found to be with implanted C6 cells (R=-0.43, -0.54, -0.52 for PDI, HI and MFI, respectively; p<0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: While UCA-derived temporal blood flow parameters were found to correlate strongly with VEGF expression, these correlations were also found to be influenced by both tumor type and implant location.

Contrast enhanced maximum intensity projection ultrasound imaging for assessing angiogenesis in murine glioma and breast tumor models: A comparative study.

The purpose of this study was to prospectively compare noninvasive, quantitative measures of vascularity obtained from four contrast enhanced ultrasound (US) techniques to four invasive immunohistochemical markers of tumor angiogenesis in a large group of murine xenografts. Glioma (C6) or breast cancer (NMU) cells were implanted in 144 rats. The contrast agent Optison (GE Healthcare, Princeton, NJ) was injected in a tail vein (dose: 0.4ml/kg). Power Doppler imaging (PDI), pulse-subtraction harmonic imaging (PSHI), flash-echo imaging (FEI), and Microflow imaging (MFI; a technique creating maximum intensity projection images over time) was performed with an Aplio scanner (Toshiba America Medical Systems, Tustin, CA) and a 7.5MHz linear array. Fractional tumor neovascularity was calculated from digital clips of contrast US, while the relative area stained was calculated from specimens. Results were compared using a factorial, repeated measures ANOVA, linear regression and z-tests. The tortuous morphology of tumor neovessels was visualized better with MFI than with the other US modes. Cell line, implantation method and contrast US imaging technique were significant parameters in the ANOVA model (p<0.05). The strongest correlation determined by linear regression in the C6 model was between PSHI and percent area stained with CD31 (r=0.37, p<0.0001). In the NMU model the strongest correlation was between FEI and COX-2 (r=0.46, p<0.0001). There were no statistically significant differences between correlations obtained with the various US methods (p>0.05). In conclusion, the largest study of contrast US of murine xenografts to date has been conducted and quantitative contrast enhanced US measures of tumor neovascularity in glioma and breast cancer xenograft models appear to provide a noninvasive marker for angiogenesis; although the best method for monitoring angiogenesis was not conclusively established.

Increasing donor body weight to prevent small-for-size syndrome in living donor liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to evaluate the possibility of avoiding small-for-size syndrome (SFSS) in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) by increasing the donor's body weight (BW) before liver donation. METHODS: Nineteen participants, including 15 volunteers and 4 liver donors, were enrolled in this study to increase their BW by 1.5-5 kg within 3 months by eating a high-protein and high-carbohydrate diet according to a flexible formula to increase calorie intake. RESULTS: Fifteen participants, including 12 volunteers and 3 live liver donors, successfully increased their BW by 1.5-5 kg within 3 months (failure rate, 21%). The actual liver weight (LW) gain was more than the expected LW gain using the formula for calculating standard liver volume (2.77- to 8.94-fold; median, 4.49-fold; mean, 4.45-fold, P < 0.005) and using the ratio of liver weight to body weight (1.36- to 4.49-fold; median, 2.01-fold; mean, 2.06-fold, P < 0.005). The enlargement of the livers was symmetrical without significant fatty change. The graft-versus-recipient weight ratio increased 0.17%, 0.07%, and 0.08%, respectively, for the three live liver donors and successful LDLTs were performed. CONCLUSIONS: By having liver donors eat a high-protein, high-carbohydrate diet to increase their BW in a short period of time, the actual LW may increase more than the expected LW gain without fatty change. This method of increasing LW may be used in selected cases of LDLT to avoid SFSS.

Testicular microlithiasis: analysis of prevalence and associated testicular cancer in Taiwanese men.

PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of testicular microlithiasis (TM) in Taiwanese males who were referred for scrotal sonography (US) and to evaluate the association between TM and cancer, with state-of-the-art equipment. METHODS: This retrospective study included 513 males who underwent scrotal US in a period of 7 months. The US images and charts of each patient were reviewed to determine the presence of TM and note relevant clinical information. RESULTS: The data for all 513 patients were analyzed. Their age was 0-91 years (mean, 54.3 years). The overall incidence of TM was 14.4% (74/513); 6.2% (32/513) had classic TM, and 8.2% had limited TM. The incidence of testicular cancer in this population was 1.6% (8/513). Six of eight (75%) patients who had testicular cancer at presentation had classic TM or limited TM. There was a significant difference (P < 0.01) between the rate of malignancy in subjects with TM (6/74) and that in subjects without TM (2/439). CONCLUSION: The incidence of TM in Taiwanese people may be higher than previously reported, which may be due to the difference in methodology and increased awareness of the US findings. Although there was a significant difference in the rate of malignancy in males with TM compared with those without TM, the question remains whether TM independently increases the risk of testicular malignancy.

Computer-aided diagnosis of soft-tissue tumors using sonographic morphologic and texture features.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to develop a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system in assessing the sonographic morphologic and texture features of soft-tissue tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The retrospective study involved 114 pathology proven cases including 73 benign and 41 malignant soft-tissue tumors. The tumor regions were delineated by an experienced radiologist who was unknown to the pathologic result. Then, we applied 10 morphologic features and 6 gray-level co-occurrence matrix texture features to analyze the tumor regions. To classify the tumors as benign or malignant, we used two methods, a linear discriminant analysis with stepwise feature selection and a multilayer neural network with the back-propagation algorithm as classifiers. The classification performances are evaluated by the area A(z) under the receiver operating characteristic. Furthermore, four radiologists provided malignancy grades for all tumors in the comparison of the CAD system. RESULTS: In this analysis, the CAD system based on the combination of morphologic and texture feature sets can give the optimal CAD result by LDA with an accuracy of 89.5%, a sensitivity of 90.2%, a specificity of 89.0%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 82.2%, negative predictive value (NPV) of 94.2%, and A(z) value of 0.96, and by the multilayer perception with an accuracy of 88.6%, a sensitivity of 90.2%, a specificity of 87.5%, a positive predictive value of 80.4%, negative predictive value of 94.2%, and A(z) value of 0.95. The A(z) values of the four radiologists were ranged between 0.74 and 0.86, and the optimal CAD results were shown the highest A(z) values than the four radiologists' rankings. CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown that performing the CAD system with both morphologic and texture features on sonography, can successfully distinguish between benign and malignant soft-tissue tumors. Moreover, it can also provide a second opinion for the tumor diagnosis and avert unnecessary biopsy.

Computer-aided diagnosis of peripheral soft tissue masses based on ultrasound imaging.

Medical ultrasound (US) has been widely used for distinguishing benign from malignant peripheral soft tissue tumors. However, diagnosis by US is subjective and depends on the experience of the radiologists. The rarity of peripheral soft tissue tumors can make them easily neglected and this frequently leads to delayed diagnosis, which results in a much higher death rate than with other tumors. In this paper, we developed a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system to diagnose peripheral soft tissue masses on US images. We retrospectively evaluated 49 cases of pathologically proven peripheral soft tissue masses (32 benign, 17 malignant). The proposed CAD system includes three main procedures: image pre-processing and region-of-interest (ROI) segmentation, feature extraction and statistics-based discriminant analysis (DA). We developed a depth-normalization factor (DNF) to compensate for the influence of the depth setting on the apparent size of the ROI. After image pre-processing and normalization, five features, namely area (A), boundary transition ratio (T), circularity (C), high intensity spots (H) and uniformity (U), were extracted from the US images. A DA function was then employed to analyze these features. A CAD algorithm was then devised for differentiating benign from malignant masses. The CAD system achieved an accuracy of 87.8%, a sensitivity of 88.2%, a specificity of 87.5%, a positive predictive value (PPV) 78.9% and a negative predictive value (NPV) 93.3%. These results indicate that the CAD system is valuable as a means of providing a second diagnostic opinion when radiologists carry out peripheral soft tissue mass diagnosis.

Computer-aided diagnosis of soft tissue tumors on high-resolution ultrasonography with geometrical and morphological features.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to develop a semi-automated computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system based on high-resolution ultrasonography for classifying benign and malignant soft tissue tumors (STTs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred seven patients with STTs (70 benign and 37 malignant) were enrolled, and regions of interest were manually delineated for analysis. Sixteen tumor shape features, including five geometric features and 11 morphologic features (six old and five new normalized radial length [NRL] features) were individually evaluated using Student's t test and the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (A(z)). Then linear discriminant analysis with stepwise feature selection was used to construct a semi-automated CAD system with old NRL features, new NRL features, and all features combined. Additionally, two experienced radiologists participated in malignancy grading of tumors. To investigate the associations among CAD results, pathologic results, and radiologists' rankings, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used in the statistical analysis. RESULTS: The results showed that 11 features had P values < .05, and five of the proposed features were significant. The optimal CAD system achieved accuracy of 87.9%, sensitivity of 89.2%, specificity of 87.1%, and an A(z) value of 0.93. Correlation between pathologic results and radiologists' rankings was obtained (radiologist A: r=0.62, P < .01; radiologist B: r=0.61, P < .01). In addition, a higher correlation between pathologic results and CAD results (r=0.73, P < .01) was demonstrated. CONCLUSION: This semi-automated CAD method based on tumor shape features can successfully distinguish between benign and malignant STTs. It can also provide a second opinion to ultrasound for the diagnosis of STTs.

Canine prostate: contrast-enhanced US-guided radiofrequency ablation with urethral and neurovascular cooling--initial experience.

PURPOSE: To prospectively evaluate in a canine model contrast material-enhanced ultrasonography (US) for guiding and monitoring radiofrequency (RF) ablation of the entire prostate, with urethral and vascular cooling to protect the surrounding structures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After approval by the institutional animal use and care committee, an RF electrode was used to ablate the entire prostate in 15 dogs. During ablation, pulse-inversion harmonic US was performed by using an endocavitary probe after an intravenous bolus injection (0.04 mL/kg) and infusion (0.015 muL/kg/min) of a US contrast agent. In group 1 (n = 4), no cooling protection was used during ablation. In group 2 (n = 5), urethral and bladder protection was provided by inserting a 12-F catheter infused with cold saline (8 degrees C +/- 4 [standard deviation]) at a rate of 100 mL/min. In group 3 (n = 6), further protection of the neurovascular bundles (NVBs) was provided by infusing cold saline (8 degrees C +/- 4) into the iliac arteries at a rate of 50 mL/min by means of catheterization of the femoral artery. Pathologic findings among the three groups were compared by using the Wilcoxon rank sum test. RESULTS: The average volumes of prostate ablation achieved in the three groups were 96.6%, 91.9%, and 92%. Contrast-enhanced pulse-inversion harmonic US allowed visualization and monitoring of urethral and NVB blood flow during the ablation. Without protection, damage to the urethra and the NVB was demonstrated at both US and pathologic examination. There was highly significant difference in urethral damage between groups with and the group without urethral cooling (P = .002), while intraarterial cooling demonstrated a nonsignificant trend toward a decreased NVB damage (P = .069). CONCLUSION: Contrast-enhanced US can guide RF ablation of the entire prostate. Infusion of cold saline provides effective protection for the urethra during such procedures. The application of intraarterial cooling did not provide a significant improvement in the protection of the NVB in this small study.

Differentiation between schwannomas and neurofibromas in the extremities and superficial body: the role of high-resolution and color Doppler ultrasonography.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to verify whether high-resolution and color Doppler ultrasonography could distinguish schwannomas from neurofibromas. METHODS: Seventy-six tumors in 71 patients were included in this study. There were 46 patients (50 tumors) with schwannomas and 25 patients (26 tumors) with nondiffuse neurofibromas in the extremities or superficial parts of the body. Ultrasonographic examinations were performed in all patients. The tumor size, shape, location, internal echogenicity, posterior acoustic phenomenon (eg, shadowing or enhancement), capsule, relationship with the adjacent nerve, and presence of cystic components were documented. Color Doppler studies (75 lesions) and spectral Doppler studies (44 lesions) were performed. All data were analyzed with statistical software to check the significance. RESULTS: Both tumors presented as well-defined hypoechoic nodules on ultrasonography. They were oval or lobulated, showed posterior acoustic enhancement, and were hypervascular on color Doppler ultrasonography. There was no significant difference with respect to ultrasonographic morphologic characteristics. The rates of centric, eccentric, and undetermined associations with nerves were 40%, 20%, and 40% in the schwannomas and 46.2%, 0%, and 53.8% in the neurofibromas, respectively, showing a significant difference (P = .032). There was no significant difference in the chance of cystic changes between the schwannomas (30%) and neurofibromas (23%). CONCLUSIONS: No ultrasonographic finding (gray scale, color Doppler, or spectral analysis) allows differentiation between neurofibromas and schwannomas of the extremities. A nerve eccentrically entering a mass was seen only in schwannomas, and that may allow differentiation between neurofibromas and schwannomas.

The management of high-risk patients with primary hyperparathyroidism - minimally invasive parathyroidectomy vs. medical treatment.

OBJECTIVE: Parathyroidectomy (PTx) for high-risk primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) patients poses a surgical challenge. We hypothesize that a minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP) under local anaesthesia may minimize the perioperative risks and facilitate easier clinical care than medical treatment for these patients. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: We performed a prospective, nonrandomized, controlled study of 33 PHPT patients evaluated as poor general anaesthesia risks. The outline of the diseased parathyroids and the thyroid were mapped by Tc(99m) sestamibi scan and focused sonogram. MIPs were performed under local anaesthesia (group 1, 19 patients). Medical treatment with bisphosphonates was continued for patients refusing operation (group 2, 14 patients). MEASUREMENTS: Serum Ca, PO(4), and i-PTH were measured the following morning, every 6 months in the first postoperative year and then yearly for group 1 patients, or every 3 months for group 2 patients. American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class designations were re-evaluated every 3 months. RESULTS: In group 1, there were no operative complications, mortality or recurrent hypercalcaemia during a mean follow-up of 35.5 months. Group 2 patients had a significantly higher incidence of episodes of hypercalcaemic crisis, deteriorating renal function and weight-bearing bone fractures, while group 1 patients had a higher incidence of improved ASA and NYHA class, better 3-year overall survival rate (83.1%vs. 60.8%, P = 0.032), and less medical costs. CONCLUSION: MIP can be safely performed under local anaesthesia and it facilitates clinical care in high-risk PHPT patients. It is recommended for those selected by image localization.

Comparing differential tissue harmonic imaging with tissue harmonic and fundamental gray scale imaging of the liver.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare fundamental gray scale sonography, tissue harmonic imaging (THI), and differential tissue harmonic imaging (DTHI) for depicting normal and abnormal livers. METHODS: The in vitro lateral resolution of DTHI, THI, and sonography was assessed in a phantom. Sagittal and transverse images of right and left hepatic lobes of 5 volunteers and 20 patients and images of 27 liver lesions were also acquired. Three independent blinded readers scored all randomized images for noise, detail resolution, image quality, and margin (for lesions) on a 7-point scale. Next, images from the same location obtained with all 3 modes were compared blindly side by side and rated by all readers. Contrast-to-noise ratios were calculated for the lesions, and the depth of penetration (centimeters) was determined for all images. RESULTS: In vitro, the lateral resolution of DTHI was significantly better than fundamental sonography (P = .009) and showed a trend toward significance versus THI (P = .06). In the far field, DTHI performed better than both modes (P < .04). In vivo, 450 images were scored, and for all parameters, DTHI and THI did better than sonography (P < .002). Differential tissue harmonic imaging scored significantly higher than THI with regard to detail resolution and image quality (P < .001). The average increase in penetration with THI and DTHI was around 0.6 cm relative to sonography (P < .0001). The contrast-to-noise ratio for DTHI showed a trend toward significance versus THI (P = .06). Side-by-side comparisons rated DTHI better than THI and sonography in 54% of the cases (P < .007). CONCLUSIONS: Tissue harmonic imaging and DTHI do better than fundamental sonography for hepatic imaging, with DTHI being rated the best of the 3 techniques.

Adnexal torsion: new clinical and imaging observations by sonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to review the clinical, imaging, and pathologic findings associated with adnexal torsion. METHODS: A review of surgically proven cases of torsion between 1990 and 2006 included clinical, surgical, and pathologic data and preoperative sonographic, computed tomographic (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies. Imaging reports were assessed to determine whether a correct preoperative diagnosis was made. Factors related to failure to make a correct diagnosis were evaluated. RESULTS: Fifty-eight cases of torsion were evaluated (patient ages, 12-85 years; 14 postmenopausal). There was a slight right-sided predominance (55%); in most cases (72%), both the ovary and fallopian tube were involved. Common symptoms/signs were pain (91%), leukocytosis (64%), nausea/vomiting (62%), and a palpable mass (41%). Twenty-eight patients (48%) had previous abdominal surgery; in 12 (46%) of these 28, pelvic adhesions were noted. At pathologic examination, underlying adnexal masses were found in 30 cases (52%); they were benign in 26 (87%) of 30 cases. Common imaging findings were an adnexal mass (65% on sonography, 87% on CT, and 75% on MRI), a displaced adnexal mass/enlarged ovary (53% on sonography, 87% on CT, and 75% on MRI), and ascites (53% on sonography, 73% on CT, and 50% on MRI). A correct preoperative diagnosis was made by initial sonography in 15 (71%) of 21 cases versus initial CT in 5 (38%) of 13. A correct imaging diagnosis was made more frequently in premenopausal than in menopausal patients (P = .02) and in patients without an underlying adnexal mass compared with those with a mass (P = .05). CONCLUSIONS: Although CT shows features suggestive of torsion, in our study, the diagnostic value of initial CT was less than that of initial sonography. A correct preoperative diagnosis was made less often with an underlying adnexal mass and in postmenopausal women. Previous surgery and adhesions may be predisposing factors for adnexal torsion.

Spontaneous rupture with pseudoaneurysm formation in a nodular goiter presenting as a large neck mass.

Acute airway obstruction caused by goiter hemorrhage is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition. We report a case of nodular goiter in which spontaneous rupture with active bleeding developed suddenly, presenting as a large neck mass with dyspnea. Sonographic examination revealed a large inhomogeneous soft tissue mass in the left thyroid lobe containing some hypoechoic areas. Color Doppler and spectral Doppler analysis were consistent with a large hematoma and pseudoaneurysm, which was subsequently confirmed at surgery.

Current status of sonographically guided radiofrequency ablation techniques.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article was to review the current clinical applications of sonographically guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) techniques. METHODS: Publications regarding RFA extracted from a computerized database (MEDLINE) and from references cited in these articles were reviewed to evaluate the clinical effect and patient outcome. RESULTS: Radiofrequency ablation has shown some promising effects in the treatment of tumors in various parts of the body. The recent advances in RFA technology enable larger volumes of treatment and make RFA clinically practical. It is most often used for hepatic and renal tumors, and applications for other organs and structures are increasing and rapidly developing. Sonography provides a convenient way to guide and monitor the procedure in most situations. CONCLUSIONS: Effectiveness of RFA in the treatment of tumors in various body parts has been achieved. Radiofrequency ablation should be considered as an alternative or complementary method in the integration of oncologic management to obtain the greatest benefit to patients.

Superficial soft-tissue lymphoma: sonographic appearance and early survival.

We evaluated superficial soft-tissue lymphomas on high-resolution ultrasonography (HRUS) in 43 patients (17 women, 26 men; mean, 59.7 y; range, 12 to 90 y), with 1- to 97-month follow-up. Clinical presentations, tumor location and morphology, echogenicity on HRUS and color-encoding grades on Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS) were assessed. Clinical presentations did not significantly differ with tumor location or morphology. Types of lymphoma did not significantly differ in echogenicity, although most were hypoechogenic. On CDUS, most lymphomas were hypervascular, but grades did not significantly depend on the type of tumor. On Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank testing, survival did not differ by age (divided at 65 y), sex, tumor location or size (cut-off, 5 cm), CDUS grade or pathology. Survival was significantly related to clinical presentation (p < 0.0095) and tumor morphology (p < 0.0354). HRUS and CDUS were good modalities to detect the masses and provided important pretreatment information.

Sonographic features of nonpalpable breast cancer: a study based on ultrasound-guided wire-localized surgical biopsies.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlation between surgicopathological findings and ultrasonic images of nonpalpable breast lesions. The study was composed of 220 nonpalpable breast lesions from 193 patients. The breast lesions were classified into soft tissue type (185 lesions) and calcification type (35 lesions). Of the 220 lesions, 62 (28%) were malignant. For soft tissue type lesions, the sonographic features of sound attenuation (p < 0.001) and irregular border (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with the malignant diagnosis. For soft tissue-type and calcification-type lesions, the presence of increased vascularity (p < 0.001) or calcification (p < 0.001) was significantly associated with the malignant diagnosis. Of the 164 breast lesions with corresponding mammograms, 37 of 74 mammographically identifiable lesions were pathologically malignant, as compared with 16 of 90 lesions with negative mammograms (p < 0.001). In our study, the more sensitive sonographic features for predicting malignancy were irregular border and increased vascularity (sensitivity 88% and 82%, respectively), whereas the features of sound attenuation and presence of calcifications were more specific (specificity 88% and 80%, respectively). In conclusion, ultrasound-guided wire localization of breast lesions is not only useful in assisting surgical biopsy, but the sonographic findings obtained by this procedure correlate with pathologic diagnosis.

Interventional procedures in superficial lesions: the value of 2D with additional coronal reformatted 4D ultrasonography guidance.

OBJECTIVE: We wanted to assess the usefulness of four-dimensional (4D) ultrasonography (US), i.e., real-time three-dimensional US, as an adjunct for performing various US-guided interventional procedures in superficial lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-three patients were referred for US-guided interventional procedures for superficial lesions, including core biopsy in 19, fine-needle aspiration in eight, therapeutic drug injection in four and needle puncture in two. The procedures were performed under 4D US guidance. We reviewed the pathologic/cytologic results of the core biopsies or needle aspirations, and also the outcomes of drug injection or needle puncture. RESULTS: For all the patients who underwent 4D US-guided core biopsy, the specimens were adequate for making the pathological diagnosis, and specimens were successfully obtained for those patients who underwent 4D US-guided aspiration. The patients treated with 4D US-guided therapeutic drug injection or needle puncture had a good response. No major procedure-related complications occurred. The procedural times were similar to those procedural times with using two-dimensional US. CONCLUSION: Combining the two dimensional and 4D US techniques aids the physician when performing US-guided interventional procedures for the superficial lesions.