Parallel artery and vein: sign of benign nature of breast masses.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the parallel artery and vein sign at color Doppler breast ultrasound as a predictor of the benign nature of breast masses. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A prospective study was performed to identify evidence of a parallel artery and vein in breast lesions consecutively biopsied with a 14-gauge needle under ultrasound guidance. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, likelihood ratios, and 95% CIs for the parallel artery and vein sign were calculated. RESULTS: The parallel artery and vein sign was identified in 142 of the 1074 masses (13.2%). The specificity for benignity was 99.3% (CI 95%, 98.3-100.0%); sensitivity, 17.6% (CI 95%, 15.0-20.3%); positive predictive value, 99.0% (CI 95%, 96.7-100); negative predictive value, 30.0% (CI 95%, 27.0-32.9); positive likelihood ratio, 24.7 (CI 95%, 21.2-28.7); and negative likelihood ratio, 0.83 (CI 95%, 0.80-0.86). Among masses found to have the parallel artery and vein sign, all BI-RADS ultrasound category 3 and 95.1% of BI-RADS 4 lesions were determined to be benign. CONCLUSION: Although the parallel artery and vein sign is an uncommon finding, it has a significant association with benign pathologic results (96.5%) with a positive likelihood ratio of 24.7. The presence of this color Doppler ultrasound finding in breast masses in BI-RADS ultrasound categories 3 and 4 reinforces the benign nature and may allow follow-up rather than biopsy in the care of some patients.

Cánceres sólo detectados en la ultrasonografía mamaria / Cancers detected only in the breast ultrasound

Objetivos: Para evaluar la utilidad del ultrasonido mamario en nuestro medio, nos propusimos determinar el porcentaje de cánceres no detectables en mamografía, diagnosticados sólo en ultrasonido y determinar los factores que dificultan su diagnóstico mamográfico. Material y métodos: En el período comprendido entre enero de 2003 y diciembre de 2007, se realizó la revisión retrospectiva de los 441 cánceres estudiados en nuestro servicio. Se analizaron las características clínicas, mamográficos, ecográficas y anatomopatológicas de todos aquellos casos en que la mamografía no aportó signos sospechosos y la ultrasonografía detectó la lesión. Resultados: Ochenta y cuatro cánceres fueron detectados por ultrasonografía con mamografía negativa en 80 pacientes, edad media: 52.7 años (rango= 20-86). EI 98.8 por ciento fueron nódulos. Ninguno de ellos presentó microcalcificaciones. Tamaño lesional promedio: 15.8mm (rango= 5-60 mm). Veinte tumores eran clínicamente palpables, por 10 que los cánceres detectables exclusivamente en ultrasonido corresponde a un 14.5 por ciento. Se encontraron mamas densas (tipo ACR 3 Y4) en eI 82.5 por ciento. La histopatología reveló cánceres infiltrantes en 78 (93 por ciento). Conclusiones: E114.5 por ciento de los cánceres clínica y mamográficamente ocultos fueron detectables exclusivamente en ultrasonido. La gran mayoría de estos correspondía a pequeños cánceres invasores en mujeres de edad productiva. Los factores que influyeron negativamente en el diagnóstico mamográficos fueron: alta densidad del parenquima, ausencia de microcalcificaciones, mínima reacción estromal y pequeño tamaño tumoral. Por lo anterior, el uso del ultrasonido se recomienda como complemento indispensable a la mamografía especial mente en mamas densas.

Purpouse: To asses the utility of breast ultrasound (US) in our local area, we propose to determinate the percent of cancer in negative mammograms only detected by US and which factors make mammographically occult the malignancy. Materials and methods: From January 2003 through December 2007 we found 441 breast cancers, we reviewed the clinics, mammographies, ultrasounds and histopathologies findings in all the cases when the mammogram was negative and only the US detected. Results: Eighty four cancers were found only in US with negative mammogram in 80 patients, mean aged: 52.7 (range =20-86). The 98.8 percent were nodes. None of them had microcalcifications. Mean size was 15.8 mm (range= 5-60 mm). Twenty tumors were clinically palpable, so the cancers only detected by US corresponded to 14.5 percent. The 82.5 percent presented high density (type ACR 3 and 4). The histopathologies findings revealed invasive carcinoma in 78 (93 percent). Conclusions: The 14.5 percent of the non palpable and occult mamographically cancers were detected only detected by US. The most of them corresponded to small invasive carcinomas in women under 60 years old. The factors than influyed negatively in the diagnostic were: the high density of breast tissue, the ausence of microcalcifications, the minimal estromal reaction and small tumor size. We recommended the US like indispensable complement to mammograms, especially in women with dense breast.

Programa de mejoramiento continuo en mamografía / Mammography continuous improvement program

In different areas, the quality concept has been conceived like the fulfillment of "controls of quality" and standards defined in accreditation processes. This paradigm is being replaced by the one of "total quality", being based on cycles of continuous improvement and the use of tools of control for processes analysis. This paper shows the requirements in the implementation of the principles of "total quality" in the continuous quality of image improvement in the Mamography´s Unit of the "Centro de Imagenología, Hospital Clínico Universidad de Chile".

En distintas áreas, el concepto de calidad ha sido concebido como el cumplimiento de "controles de calidad" y estándares definidos en procesos de acreditación. Este paradigma está siendo reemplazado por el de "calidad total", basado en ciclos de mejora continua y el uso de herramientas de control para el análisis de los procesos. Este trabajo muestra los requerimientos en la implementación de los principios de "calidad total" en el mejoramiento continuo de la calidad de imagen en la Unidad de Mamografía del Centro de Imagenología del Hospital Clínico de la Universidad de Chile.

Could the [14C]urea breath test be proposed as a 'gold standard' for detection of Helicobacter pylori infection ?

BACKGROUND: The urea breath test (UBT) with a microdose of [14C] is a non-invasive and simple method for the assessment of gastric infection by Helicobacter pylori. The aim of this study was to compare the [14C]UBT with invasive methods widely used for assessment of H. pylori gastric infection, including histology with hematoxylin-eosin staining, the gastric smear technique using Giemsa staining, and the biopsy urease test. MATERIAL/METHODS: We evaluated patients referred to our clinic for elective upper gastrointestinal endoscopy excluding those on antibiotics and/or bismuth during the previous 4 weeks, patients on H+ blockers or H2 antihistamines during the previous 7 days, pregnant women, and patients who had undergone gastric surgery or had bleeding disorders. Eighty-nine patients ranging in age from 18-75 years were included in the final study population, 61 women and 28 men (mean age: 43(15 years). RESULTS: When histology alone was considered as the reference standard, sensitivity for the [14 C]UBT was 94%, with a specificity of 37%; when the Giemsa technique, sensitivity was 95%, and specificity 35%; and when the biopsy urease test, sensitivity was 94% and specificity 45%. With two or more invasive techniques together considered as the reference standard, the [14C]UBT had a sensitivity of 95%, with a specificity of 44%. CONCLUSIONS: [14C]UBT is an objective and reproducible technique, capable of sampling the whole gastric mucosa. It shows high sensitivity, but low specificity, which could be explained by limited gastric sampling plus subjective interpretation in the invasive techniques that are currently used as gold standard.