DETECTION OF MALIGNANT AND BENIGN BREAST-LESIONS WITH AN AUTOMATED USSYSTEM - RESULTS IN 120 CASES

PURPOSE: To evaluate clinically an automated ultrasound (US) system fo r detecting benign and malignant breast lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS : A prototype automated US system was used to examine 119 patients: 38 patients with 39 proved malignant breast lesions (7-50 mm), 41 patien ts with 41 proved benign breast lesions (8-40 mm), and 40 patients wit hout breast lesions. The device yields a three-dimensional set of B-mo de scans and reconstructed US images comparable to mammograms. All pat ients had undergone mammography. Four radiologists who had not perform ed the examinations independently assessed the mammograms and US image s to detect benign and malignant breast lesions. RESULTS: Each of the four readers did not recognize one to three detectable malignant lesio ns on mammograms, one to two detectable malignant lesions on US images , two to four detectable benign lesions on mammograms, and five to sev en detectable benign lesions on US images. All readers identified the 39 cancers with at least one of the modalities. The 40 cases without l esions were diagnosed correctly more frequently on the US images by th ree readers and on the mammograms by one reader. CONCLUSION: Depiction of breast lesions at automated US is reproducible. Automated US is co mplementary to mammography.