A study of contrast-enhanced ultrasound findings of the breast using Sonazoid

Abstract

Purpose: We performed contrast-enhanced ultrasound for breast disease using the second-generation contrast agent Sonazoid^® to investigate characteristic findings and its meaning. Subjects: Subjects were 97 breast cancer lesions and 30 benign lesions confirmed by tissue diagnosis after contrast-enhanced ultrasound was conducted. Sonazoid^® was observed by low-mechanical-index pulse subtraction imaging and micro flow imaging. Results and Discussion: Because contrast-enhanced ultrasound could image the resonance signal of the micro air bubbles in high time and spatial resolution, the depiction of a minute perfusion image and a small vascular image was possible. The perfusion image reflected the uniformity in the lesion, and the neighboring perfusion image showed the presence of the tumor vessel with infiltrative growth, a finding peculiar to an invasive cancer. The vascular image reflected the growth form of the lesion. The malignant lesion showed a little vascular image in the branch, whereas the benign lesion had a large number of branches on contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Conclusion: We were able to examine the minute structure of the lesion by contrast-enhanced ultrasound of the breast using Sonazoid^®.