Role of High Resolution Ultrasound Complementary to Digital Mammography

BACKGROUND: Breast carcinoma is a major cause of mortality among women worldwide. Early detection and cure is the key to reduce the mortality of the disease. This article studied the role of high resolution ultrasound in detection and characterization of lesions to complement mammographic diagnosis and improve patient management. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the role of complementary high resolution ultrasound, BIRADS scoring and to correlate it with histological diagnosis. RESULTS AND OBSERVATIONS: HRUS is excellent in detecting microcalcifications, malignant features of solid masses, differentiating focal asymmetry from masses, differentiating between solid and cystic lesions, simple and complex cysts and detecting satellite lesions and mammographically inaccessible areas for which special views can be done. CONCLUSIONS: Every case referred for digital mammography should undergo ultrasound irrespective of the age, symptoms and density of the breast parenchyma and a combined final BIRADS grading should be done. Ultrasound is an excellent imaging modality for breast lesions in expert hands.