Purpose: To assess the effectiveness of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in guiding biopsies of breast lesions that were detected on contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) or contrast-enhanced breast MRI (CE-MRI) but were not clearly visible on B-mode ultrasound (B-US).
Methods: In this study, 23 lesions in 16 patients were selected for CEUS-guided biopsy due to poor visualization on B-US despite being detected on CEM (n = 20) or CE-MRI (n = 3). B-US, color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS), and CEUS were used to visualize the suspicious lesions, followed by a CEUS-guided core needle biopsy using Sonazoid as the contrast agent. The accuracy of the biopsy was assessed based on pathology-radiology concordance and 12-month imaging follow-up. The conspicuity scores for lesion visualization were evaluated using a 5-point conspicuity scale agreed upon by two breast radiologists.
Results: The enhancing lesions detected on CEM/CE-MRI had an average size of 1.6 ± 1.3 cm and appeared as mass-enhancing (61%) or non-mass-enhancing (39%). The lesions had mean conspicuity scores of 2.30 on B-US, 2.78 on CDUS, and 4.61 on CEUS, with 96% of the lesions showing contrast enhancement on CEUS. CEUS-guided biopsy showed increased visibility in 96% and 91% of the lesions compared to B-US and CDUS, respectively. The overall accuracy of CEUS-guided biopsy was 100% based on concordance with histology and 12-month follow-up.
Conclusions: CEUS enhances the visibility of suspicious CEM/CE-MRI lesions that are poorly visible on B-US during biopsy procedures.
Keywords: B-mode ultrasound (B-US); Contrast-enhanced breast MRI (CE-MRI); Contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM); Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS); Core needle biopsy (CNB).
© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Japan Society of Ultrasonics in Medicine.