Use of non-Rayleigh statistics for the identification of tumors in ultrasonic B-scans of the breast.

A model for the scattering of ultrasound from breast tissue is proposed. The model is based on the use of non-Rayleigh statistics, specifically the K distribution to describe the backscattered echo from the tissue. A multiparameter test based on this model has been designed to characterize the tissue. The data from the B-scan images of the breasts of 6 different patients were analyzed using this model. The results indicate that the non-Rayleigh statistics seem to be useful in characterizing and identifying malignant, benign, and normal tissue regions.