Added value of Virtual Touch IQ shear wave elastography in the ultrasound assessment of breast lesions

• Published in: European journal of radiology Vol. 83; no. 5; pp. 773 - 777
• Main Authors: Ianculescu, Victor, Ciolovan, Laura Maria, Dunant, Ariane, Vielh, Philippe, Mazouni, Chafika, Delaloge, Suzette, Dromain, Clarisse, Blidaru, Alexandru, Balleyguier, Corinne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01-05-2014
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; BIRADS 4a; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Elasticity Imaging Techniques - methods; Elastography; Female; Humans; Image Enhancement - methods; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted - methods; Middle Aged; Multimodal Imaging - methods; Observer Variation; Palpation - methods; Radiology; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Shear wave; Touch; Ultrasonography, Mammary - methods; Ultrasound; User-Computer Interface; Virtual Touch IQ; BIRADS 4a; Breast cancer; Shear wave; Virtual Touch IQ; Ultrasound; Elastography
• ISSN: 0720-048X; 1872-7727
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2014.01.021

Abstract Purpose To determine the diagnostic performance of Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) Virtual Touch IQ shear wave elastography in the discrimination of benign and malignant breast lesions. Materials and methods Conventional B-mode and elasticity imaging were used to evaluate 110 breast lesions. Elastographic assessment of breast tissue abnormalities was done using a shear wave based technique, Virtual Touch IQ (VTIQ), implemented on a Siemens Acuson S3000 ultrasound machine. Tissue mechanical properties were interpreted as two-dimensional qualitative and quantitative colour maps displaying relative shear wave velocity. Wave speed measurements in m/s were possible at operator defined regions of interest. The pathologic diagnosis was established on samples obtained by ultrasound guided core biopsy or fine needle aspiration. Results BIRADS based B-mode evaluation of the 48 benign and 62 malignant lesions achieved 92% sensitivity and 62.5% specificity. Subsequently performed VTIQ elastography relying on visual interpretation of the colour overlay displaying relative shear wave velocities managed similar standalone diagnostic performance with 92% sensitivity and 64.6% specificity. Lesion and surrounding tissue shear wave speed values were calculated and a significant difference was found between the benign and malignant populations (Mann–Whitney U test, p < 0.0001). By selecting a lesion cut-off value of 3.31 m/s we achieved 80.4% sensitivity and 73% specificity. Applying this threshold only to BIRADS 4a masses, we reached overall levels of 92% sensitivity and 72.9% specificity. Conclusion VTIQ qualitative and quantitative elastography has the potential to further characterise B-mode detected breast lesions, increasing specificity and reducing the number of unnecessary biopsies.