Abstract：Objective: To obtain the elasticity value of benign and malignant breast lesions with supersonic shear wave elastrography(SWE), in order to assess the value of quantitative elastography with SWE in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast lesions. Methods: SWE was performed in 67 breast lesions of 51 female patients with pathologically confirmed results, to obtain the elastic modulus(mean, maximum, minimum, standard deviation (SD)) of breast lesions. The value of SWE and mammography BI-RADS classification in differential diagnosis of breast lesions was compared. Results: The mean, maximum and SD of elasticity value for benign lesions were (25.21±16.45) kPa, (39.18±31.20) kPa and (6.19±7.66) kPa respectively; whereas those for malignant ones were (59.05±36.19) kPa, (108.72±45.17) kPa and (20.01±12.27) kPa, respectively(P＜0.05). The area under the curve(AUC) of the mean and maximum elasticity value was 0.814 and 0.908. Taking 40.2 kPa and 58.79 kPa as the threshold of the mean and maximum elasticity value, the diagnostic accuracy of maximum is higher than that of the BI-RADS classification. Conclusion: The mean, maximum and SD of elasticity value can provide diagnostic evidence for benign and malignant breast lesions. Maximum has a higher value than the BI-RADS classification in the differential diagnosis of breast lesions.
2012, Vol. 23 
