ECHOCONTRAST AGENT ENHANCED COLOR-FLOW IMAGING OF THE BREAST

An ultrasound contrast agent which survives transit through the pulmon ary circulation after injection into a peripheral vein can also be use d for the demonstration of flow characteristics in the peripheral orga ns. Such a substance (SH U 508 A, Schering A G, Berlin) was tested in the Gynecological Department of the University of Marburg for its suit ability for enhancing color-coded Doppler signals in mammary diagnosis in a group of ten women with breast tumors. The observations made are compared with the histologically confirmed diagnoses. The very distin ct enhancement of the color-coded Doppler signals allows reliable demo nstration of the vascularization characteristics, not only of the mali gnant, but also of all benign solid tumors examined. Color signals wer e even recorded from normal mammary tissue, which means that the demon stration of perfusion can no longer be used on its own as a diagnostic criterion. Observation of the characteristics of the blood supply to a tumor might, on the other hand, be an advantage, not only in respect of tumor typing, but also as regards the prognosis of a tumor. In thi s connection, the registration of the arrival, retention and wash-out phases specific to a contrast agent appears to furnish particularly in teresting information about the growth dynamics of a tumor.