Abstract
Introduction
With breast cancer as one of the frequent causes of cancer mortality today, the importance
of ultrasound in its early detection has been apparent. It has been a valuable addition
to the surgeon's diagnostic skills, contributing a vital role in clinical practice.
We set out to determine the accuracy and value of breast ultrasound for primary imaging
in women presenting with a clinically palpable mass in our outpatient clinic.
Materials and Methods
This is a retrospective cross-sectional study of a point-of-care breast ultrasound
among patients who consulted at the University of the Philippines-Philippine General
Hospital (UP-PGH) Breast Care Clinic for a palpable breast mass without prior histopathologic
diagnosis. The overall diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive
value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were determined. Sonographic features
were also identified, and multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to determine
significant predictors of malignancy.
Results
Eighty patients were reviewed and compared with their histopathology results. The
overall accuracy of a surgeon-performed breast ultrasound was 86.2%, sensitivity of
91.4%, specificity of 82.2%, PPV of 80% and NPV of 92.5%. Indistinct borders, posterior
enhancement, unilateral shadowing, heterogeneous echo pattern and deeper than wide
anterior-posterior ratio are sonographic features associated with malignancy.
Conclusion
This study showed that a point-of-care ultrasound for a palpable breast mass is reliable
with a relatively good accuracy rate. Performing breast ultrasound in the clinic will
help the surgeon evaluate the extent of disease preoperatively and be guided as to
the optimal surgical management for the patient.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 22, 2023
Accepted:
February 7,
2023
Received in revised form:
February 6,
2023
Received:
January 3,
2023
Publication stage
In Press Journal Pre-ProofIdentification
Copyright
© 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
