PURPOSE: To investigate the significance of the cortex-hilum (CH) area ratio and longitudinal-transverse (LT) axis ratio and the blood flow pattern for diagnosis of metastatic axillary lymph nodes by ultrasound in breast cancer patients. METHODS: From October 2005 to July 2006, we prospectively evaluated axillary nodes with ultrasound in 205 consecutive patients who had category 4B, 4C or 5 breast lesions according to the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System-Ultrasound (BI-RADS-Ultrasound(R)). Among the 205, there were 24 patients who had pathologic verification of breast cancer and axillary lymph node status. For a total of 80 axillary nodes we measured the areas of the cortex and hilum of lymph nodes and calculated the area ratio. We also measured the length of the longitudinal and transverse axis of the lymph nodes and calculated the length ratio. We evaluated the blood flow pattern on power Doppler imaging and classified each lymph node into a central or peripheral pattern. Diagnostic performance was analyzed according to positive criteria for lymph node metastasis (CH area ratio >2, LT axis ratio <2, peripheral type on power Doppler imaging). RESULTS: The sensitivity of the CH area ratio was superior to that of the LT axis ratio (94.1% vs. 82.3%, p=0.031) and to that of the blood flow pattern (94.1% vs. 29.4%, p=0.009). For specificity, all three evaluating parameters had high values (89.1-95.6%) and no significant differences were found (p=0.121). The CH area ratio had a better positive predictive value than the LT axis ratio (94.1% vs. 80.0%, p=0.030) and power Doppler imaging (94.1% vs. 66.6%, p=0.028). For the negative predictive value, the CH area ratio was superior to the LT axis ratio (95.6% vs. 86.6%, p=0.035) and the blood flow pattern (95.6% vs. 63.0%, p=0.027). CONCLUSION: We recommend the CH area ratio of an axillary lymph node on ultrasound as a quantitative indicator for the classification of lymph nodes. The CH area ratio can improve diagnostic performance when compared with the LT axis ratio or blood flow pattern.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical use of low-dose multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) for staging of invasive breast cancers with patients in the prone position. METHODS: Three hundred twenty-two patients with 334 pathologically-verified breast cancers had low-dose MDCT breast imaging in the prone position for tumor staging before treatment between May 2006 and June 2010. We designed an additional computed tomography table pad with a hole for prone positioning. Patients lay prone on the table pad and the breasts were positioned within the rectangular hole. We obtained dynamic breast imaging from the lower neck to the lung base with the following parameters: 120 kVp, 50 mAs, and 3-mm reconstruction intervals. We evaluated the extent of the primary tumor, lymph nodal status, and distant metastasis in lung or bone, then assessed tumor staging based on the TNM classification of breast cancer. The assessed staging compared to the pathologic results for diagnostic accuracy. RESULTS: Among the 334 invasive breast cancers, the overall diagnostic accuracy of tumor staging was 88.3% and the accuracy values of each tumor stage were 89.6% in T1, 90.8% in T2, 81.0% in T3, and 89.3% in T4. The overall diagnostic accuracy of lymph nodal staging was 86.3% and the accuracy values in each nodal stage were 82.9% in N0, 88.0% in N1, 89.7% in N2, and 93.3% in N3. Based on breast computed tomography scans, we detected distant metastases in 30 cases (7 lungs, 10 bones, 7 lungs and bones, and 6 livers). CONCLUSION: Low-dose MDCT scanning for invasive breast cancer patients in the prone position is a feasible imaging technique for tumor staging before treatment to evaluate primary breast tumors, lymph nodes, lungs, or thoracic bones with reduced radiation doses.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Humans ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Multidetector Computed Tomography ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prone Position

PURPOSE: We wanted to determine whether additional breast ultrasound examinations are needed for patients who have clustered calcifications found by mammography for the detection of breast carcinomas. METHODS: We performed targeted ultrasound examinations in 125 consecutive patients who had clustered calcifications found by mammography. Forty-eight pathologically proven patients with 61 breast lesions were included in this study (26 invasive carcinomas, 10 ductal carcinomas in situ and 25 benign diseases). Two breast radiologists evaluated the mammography and the ultrasound findings and they graded the probability of malignancy by consensus as follows: definitely benign 1, probably benign 2, probably malignant 3, and definitely malignant 4. The diagnostic performance values, including the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value, for mammography and additional ultrasound were compared using McNemar's test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. On the ROC analysis, areas under the ROC curves (AUC) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were obtained. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for making the diagnosis of breast carcinoma by mammography were 88.9%, 12.0%, 57.4%, 59.3%, and 42.9% and those for additional ultrasound were 94.4%, 64.0%, 82.0%, 79.1%, and 88.9%, respectively. The differences of specificity and accuracy were statistically significant (p=0.0003). On the ROC analysis, ACU were significantly different between mammography (AUC=0.586, 95% CI=0.453-0.711) and ultrasound (AUC=0.823, 95% CI=0.704-0.909) (p=0.003). Clustered calcifications with associated masses or ductal changes on additional breast ultrasound had high frequency of malignancies, 79% or 73%. In addition, 87% of malignant masses were invasive carcinomas and 45% of malignant ductal changes were ductal carcinomas in situ. CONCLUSION: Additional breast ultrasound examinations for the lesions with clustered calcifications on mammography can improve the diagnostic performance and significantly contribute to the specificity and accuracy of a diagnosis of breast carcinoma. In addition, the ultrasound features may predict the pathologic findings such as benignity or malignancy and invasive carcinoma or ductal carcinoma in situ.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating ; Consensus ; Humans ; Mammography ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity