Role of ultrasonography in the detection of intraductal spread of breast cancer: correlation with pathologic findings, mammography and MR imaging

The purpose of this study was to assess the role of US in the detection of intraductal spread of east cancer in comparison with mammography (MMG) and MRI. In 46 patients with breast cancer, US features of the intraductal comp onent were classified as ductal type or distorted type. Histopathologically , 29 of 46 (63 %) cases had intraductal components, and the sensitivity, s pecificity, and accuracy RS in detection of intraductal spread were 89, 76 and 85%, respectively. Each US pattern demonstrated good correspondence to the histologic components, and the distorted type correlated well with come do-type carcinoma. Mammography was performed in all cases, and the sensitiv ity, specificity, and accuracy rates in detection of intraductal spread wer e 55, 100, and 72%, respectively. In comedo type, MMG could diagnose the ex tent of intraductal spread more accurately compared with US examination. Ma gnetic resonance imaging comparison was available in 25 cases. Magnetic res onance imaging depicted intraductal extension as an enhanced area during th e early phase of a contrast enhancement study; with a sensitivity of 93 %. Ultrasound and MRI were closely related in terms of morphologic characteris tics: the ductal type of US image correlated well with linear enhancement o n MRI, whereas the distorted correlated with regional or segmental enhancem ent. Current US examination is useful in depicting the intraductal spread o f breast cancer; however, US a tendency to underestimate intraductal compon ent of comedo type compared with MMG and MRI.