2022 Volume 37 Issue 1 Pages 34-41
Objective: Guidelines for Breast Ultrasound Diagnosis 4th Edition were published in October 5, 2020, in which revisions were made to the recall criteria and category assessment (hereinafter, new criteria) for breast ultrasound screening. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the new criteria on a reduction in the false positive rate. To this end, we examined diagnostic results based on the pre-revision criteria and changes in category assessment based on the new criteria among patients we recently diagnosed as having a mass with a mixed pattern based on the new criteria.
Methods: In total, 12,787 patients underwent breast ultrasound between April 1, 2018 and March 31, 2020, of whom patients diagnosed with or suspected as having a intracystic papilloma that corresponded to a mass with a mixed pattern were investigated. Results were re-analyzed based on the new criteria and compared with those based on the pre-revision criteria. The equipment used included the Canon Aplio300 ultrasound system.
Results: Of the 12,787 patients, 547 underwent recall examination. Sixty-two cases were assessed as intracystic papilloma, of which 51 were assessed as category 3 or above (0.399%; 9.324% of cases requiring a recall examination). Mass size was larger than 15 mm in 3 cases and 15 mm or less in 48 cases. None of these patients had experienced symptoms or associated signs. Malignancy was detected in one case with ductal carcinoma in situ measuring 15 mm or less (0.008%; 0.183% of cases requiring recall examination).
Conclusions: Our results suggest that the present new criteria can narrow down the number of cases requiring recall examination, and thereby reduce the false positive rate and improve the specificity of breast ultrasonography.
