Three-dimensional (3-D) power Doppler ultrasound helps radiologists distinguish between malignant and benign breast masses, according to a study being published in the November issue of Radiology.

"Using 3-D scans promises greater accuracy due to more consistent sampling over the entire tumor," said lead author Gerald L. LeCarpentier, PhD, Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

"Our study shows that 3-D power Doppler ultrasound may be useful in the evaluation of some breast masses."

For the study, Dr. LeCarpentier and colleagues studied 78 women aged 26 to 70 years who where scheduled for biopsy because of a suspicious breast mass. Each of the women underwent a 3-D Doppler ultrasound exam followed by core or excisional biopsy of the breast.

The results showed that 3-D power Doppler ultrasound was highly accurate in identifying malignant breast tumours. When combined with age-based assessment and gray scale visual analysis, 3-D Doppler showed a sensitivity of 100% in identifying cancerous tumors and a specificity of 86% in excluding benign tumors.

"Using speed-weighted 3-D power Doppler ultrasound, higher flow velocities in the malignant tumor-feeding vessels may be detected, whereas vessels with slower flow velocities in surrounding benign masses may be excluded," said Dr. LeCarpentihttp://www.mymedport.com/administrator/index.php?option=com_content&sectionid=-1&task=edit&cid[]=655#er.