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Breast ultrasound
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Breast ultrasound is the study that uses sound, not X-rays, to see inside the breast. It is done with a high-frequency linear transducer, of at least 12 MHz, which is the small probe that slides over the skin.
It works because each tissue sends the echo back differently. Tissue that sends back little echo and looks dark is called hypoechoic, and tissue that sends back a lot and looks bright is called hyperechoic. The breast is therefore mapped in layers, and against that background anything that should not be there stands out.
The features of a mass help describe it. A mass that is wider than tall, with posterior acoustic enhancement (a brighter zone just behind it), is described as benign. Spiculated margins, like spikes, posterior acoustic shadowing (a dark zone behind it) and a shape taller than wide are described as malignant.
Ultrasound is not there to replace mammography, which remains the screening standard even though it performs less well when the breast is dense. Together they raise the sensitivity for detecting breast cancer to 97.3 percent. But using ultrasound as the only screening tool is inadequate.
In brief
Breast ultrasound is paired with mammography, which is the screening standard but performs less well in dense breasts.
It uses a linear transducer of at least 12 MHz and divides the breast into hypoechoic and hyperechoic layers.
Each tissue sends the echo back at its own intensity.
A mass wider than tall with posterior acoustic enhancement is called benign; spiculated margins, posterior acoustic shadowing or a taller-than-wide shape, malignant.
Adding it to mammography raises sensitivity to 97.3%, but on its own it is not enough for screening.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingBreast Ultrasound, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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