COLOR DOPPLER FLOW CRITERIA OF BREAST-LESIONS

Color Doppler technique has been available for several years. The sens itivity of the equipment has improved and allows for assessment of tum or vascularity. We investigated multiple parameters in 258 patients, w ith 176 benign and 82 malignant lesions to define characteristic flow criteria. Median (25-75% quartiles and p-values are given for benign v s. malignant lesion. Number of tumor vessels: 2 (1-2) vs. 8 (5-14), p < 0.0001; mean peak systolic flow velocity: 11.1 cm/s (6.4-14.9) vs. 1 8.8 cm/s (13.7-25.1), p < 0.0001; maximum flow velocity: 12.5 cm/s (6. 7-18) va. 32.5 cm/s (22.5-47.3), p < 0.0001; sum of all systolic flow velocities: 18.9 cm/s (7-34.2) vs. 147 cm/s (71.3-266.7), p < 0.0001; minimum systolic flow velocity: 8.9 cm/s(5.4-12.1) vs. 9 cm/s (6.3-11. 3), p > 0.05; maximum RI: 0.71 (0.65-0.78) vs. 0.88 (0.78-0.99), p < 0 .0001; minimum RI: 0.65 (0.57-0.68) vs. 0.64 (0.53-0.71), p > 0.05; av erage A/B ratio: 3.1 (2.7-3.7) vs. 4.3 (3.2-7.7), p < 0.0001; maximum A/B ratio: 3.4 (2.9-4.6) vs. 8.4 (4.5-9.9), p < 0.0001; minimum A/B ra tio: 2.8 (2.3-3.2) vs. 2.9 (2.2-3.5), p > 0.005. The data analysis sho ws that flow resistance in malignancies is increased. This is in contr ast to gynecological malignancies, where an increased diastolic flow i ndicates that flow resistance is decreased.