Discrimination of sonographically detected breast masses using frequency shift color Doppler imaging in combination with age and gray scale criteria

Frequency shift color Doppler imaging was assessed in conjunction with pati ent age and gray scale (CS) features for discriminating benign from maligna nt breast masses. Thirty-eight women with sonographically detected masses s cheduled for biopsy were evaluated using a 6- to 13-MHz scan head, and the masses were delineated in ultrasonographic image volumes. Vascularity in an d around each mass was quantified using speed-weighted pixel density (SWD). Gray scale features were ranked visually on a linear scale. Combinations o f indices were compared with histologic findings (18 benign and 20 malignan t). Receiver operating characteristic analysis ranked performance in decrea sing order from the SWD-Age-GS index, to SWD-GS, SWD-Age, Age-GS, GS criter ia, SWD, and Age. At 100% sensitivity, SWD-Age-CS, SWD-GS, and SWD-Age disc riminated benign from malignant masses with specificities of 94%, 89%, and 72%, respectively. These results indicate significant improvement in ultras onographic discrimination of sonographically detected breast masses by comb ining the vascularity measure SWD with age and GS criteria.