To evaluate the role of ultrasound elastography in the diagnosis of axillary lymph node (ALN) metastasis in the patients with breast cancer.
Methods:
The conventional ultrasound features [longitudinal diameter
longitudinal-to-transverse diameter ratio (L/T ratio)
cortical thickness
status of the hilum
vascular pattern
]
and elastography features (proportion of hard area within each lymph node) of 132 axillary lymph nodes examined before biopsy or surgery were analyzed. The histopathological diagnosis was regarded as gold standard to investigate the diagnostic values of differen
t methods.
Results:
The sensitivity
specificity and accuracy were 77.0%
87.9% and 81.8% respectively for conventional ultrasound
83.8%
84.5% and 84.1% respectively for disjunctive combination
56.1%
100% and 72.7% respectively for conjunctive combination.
Conclusion:
Elastography is a useful adjuvant tool to help conventional ultrasound in the preoperative assessment of axillary lymph node status in the breast cancer patients.