Background: Benign and malignant breast inflammatory conditions must be differentiated from each other as they have different prognosis and management. Ultrasound Elastography can be used in combination with B-mode conventional ultrasound for assessing inflammatory breast lesions. Strain Elastography can help pickup malignant inflammatory breast lesions and avoid unnecessary biopsy from benign inflammatory lesions.
Aim of our Study: is to assess the diagnostic performance of strain ultrasound elastography added to the conventional B-mode ultrasound in evaluating inflammatory breast lesions.
Patient and method: This study includes 40 female patients presenting with mastitis. All breast lesions were assessed by Conventional B-mode ultrasound and Strain Elastography. Qualitative color-coded E-scoring and Semiquantitative SR (strain ratio) evaluation of the sonoelastographic images were performed. The results were compared to histopathological diagnoses or follow-up for 2 weeks after antibiotic therapy.
Results In our study combined conventional ultrasound and elastography shows higher accuracy 84.2% and specificity 81.8% comparing to using conventional ultrasound alone 80%, 77.1% respectively. Both types of elastography shows the same accuracy 85% and specificity 82.8%. Conclusion: by assessment of tissue stiffness; it was found that ultrasound elastography play an important role in differentiating benign and malignant inflammatory disorders.