Critical pathways in percutaneous breast intervention.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A T Stavros.
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PURPOSE: To determine whether sonography could help accurately distinguish benign solid breast nodules from indeterminate or malignant nodules and whether this distinction could be definite enough to obviate biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven hundred fifty sonographically solid breast nodules were prospectively classified as benign, indeterminate, or malignant. Benign nodules had no malignant characteristics and had either intense homogeneous hyperechogenicity or a thin echogenic pseudocapsule with an ellipsoid shape or fewer than four gentle lobulations. Sonographic classifications were compared with biopsy results. The sensitivity, specificity, and negative and positive predictive values of the classifications were calculated. RESULTS: Benign histologic features were found in 625 (83%) lesions; malignant histologic features, in 125 (17%). Of benign lesions, 424 had been prospectively classified as benign. Two lesions classified as benign were found to be malignant at biopsy. Thus, the classification scheme had a negative predictive value of 99.5%. Of 125 malignant lesions, 123 were correctly classified as indeterminate or malignant (98.4% sensitivity). CONCLUSION: Sonography can be used to accurately classify some solid lesions as benign, allowing imaging follow-up rather than biopsy.
With the ability to perform good diagnostic mammography, breast ultrasound, ductography, cyst aspiration, abscess drainage, and stereotactic or ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsy, the modern breast radiologist should play the central role in breast diagnosis. The definitive diagnoses afforded by percutaneous breast biopsy that obviate surgery entirely in benign lesions and streamline the therapeutic surgery for malignant lesions now can be obtained routinely. The future holds even more exciting challenges for the radiologist as percutaneous lumpectomy becomes a reality. Thus the breast radiologist, armed with the technology and techniques of the twenty-first century, truly stands on the threshold of a new era.
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To evaluate the efficacy of ultrasound (US)-guided automated large-core percutaneous needle breast biopsy, biopsy of 181 ultrasonographically suspicious breast lesions was performed by using a long-throw biopsy gun and 14-gauge needles with continuous US guidance. A "freehand" technique with either 5.0- or 7.5-MHz linear-array transducers was used. Needle core diagnoses were compared with surgical diagnoses in the 49 lesions subsequently surgically excised. The remaining 132 cases were followed for 12-36 months. Agreement between needle-core and surgical diagnoses in the 49 lesions was 100%. This group included 34 cancers (28 infiltrating ductal, two mucinous, one mixed infiltrating ductal and lobular, and one each of intraductal, infiltrating lobular, and tubular carcinoma). To date, no cancers have been found in the other 132 cases. The procedure time averaged 20 minutes, and no complications occurred. With an accuracy approaching that of excisional biopsy, US-guided needle core biopsy provides an alternative to surgery.
Segmental renal artery branches within the renal sinus were prospectively evaluated with color Doppler imaging and pulsed-Doppler spectral analysis in 56 patients before angiography. Waveforms were evaluated for the tardus and parvus abnormalities of prolonged acceleration time, diminished acceleration index, and loss of the normal early systolic compliance peak/reflective-wave complex (ESP). Findings obtained with these parameters were compared with the subsequent findings on angiograms to ascertain their efficacy in detection of hemodynamically significant (greater than or equal to 60%) renal arterial stenosis (RAS), which was present in 32 kidneys in 26 patients. Simple pattern-recognition analysis of ESP proved to be the best of the three parameters. Loss of ESP enabled identification of RAS with 95% sensitivity, 97% specificity, a 92% positive predictive value, a 98% negative predictive value, a 96% overall accuracy. On the basis of the high technical success rate, high sensitivity and specificity, and short examination time, waveform analysis for detection of tardus-parvus abnormalities, especially loss of ESP, of the segmental artery is recommended as an alternative to direct examination of the main renal arteries for evaluation of RAS.
We performed a retrospective study of symptomatic peripheral vascular malformations to determine if MR imaging can be used to distinguish slow-flow venous malformations from high-flow arteriovenous malformations and arteriovenous fistulas. Twenty-seven MR examinations in 25 patients with malformations outside the CNS were reviewed. Sixteen venous malformations, nine arteriovenous malformations, and two arteriovenous fistulas were included. In all cases, the MR findings were correlated with the results of angiography. The distinction between slow-flow venous malformations and high-flow arteriovenous malformations and arteriovenous fistulas was made primarily on T2-weighted MR images, which showed high signal intensity in venous malformations and flow voids in high-flow lesions. In addition to the previously described MR features of venous malformations (serpentine pattern with septations, associated muscle atrophy, and typical T1 and T2 signal intensities), several new MR features were apparent. Venous malformations had a propensity for multifocal involvement (37%), orientation along the long axis of extremities or affected muscles (78%), and adherence to neurovascular distributions (64%). Prominent subcutaneous fat was commonly seen adjacent to the malformation. MR images of arteriovenous malformations and arteriovenous fistulas also commonly showed muscle atrophy and subcutaneous fatty prominence. Our results show that slow-flow venous malformations can be distinguished from high-flow arteriovenous malformations and fistulas on the basis of spin-echo MR signal characteristics. The associated imaging characteristics help in the differential diagnosis in problematic cases.
Absolute ethanol was used to treat 20 patients with symptomatic vascular malformations (SVMs) (ie, venous malformations, arteriovenous malformations, and congenital and posttraumatic arteriovenous fistulas) in whom previous surgery or standard embolotherapy had failed or who were not candidates for surgery. All large complex lesions required multiple embolizations as staged procedures. Immediate thrombosis was achieved in all patients; complications (13% of cases) were generally minor and were treated conservatively. Follow-up studies, performed in 19 of 20 patients, showed persistent occlusion of the SVM in all cases. Ethanol embolization of SVMs, performed according to strict techniques, has proved efficacious in SVM management and is emerging as a definitive form of therapy.
A complex duplex carotid evaluation involves high resolution imaging and characterization of the carotid plaque as well as quantitative Doppler spectral analysis to determine the presence and degree of flow restriction. Each of the components of the examination is essential to evaluate the carotid arteries adequately for the presence of disease. Both of these components should be assimilated into a final report that can be used to determine who is at risk for embolic as well as flow restrictive disease. By carefully following the reporting system described in this paper, an accurate and reproducible means of evaluating the carotid arteries can be achieved that permits comparison of studies. In addition, this will allow accurate communications among institutions and help to insure a better understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of atherosclerotic carotid artery disease.
High-resolution duplex sonography was compared with biplane magnified carotid angiography in a prospective evaluation of 161 carotid arteries in 86 patients. The duplex scanner combined real-time B-mode imaging (7.5 MHz) with simultaneous range-gated pulsed Doppler frequency analysis (3 MHz). The degree of stenosis was usually determined by the true and residual lumen of the carotid artery at the atherosclerotic plaque on the transverse image. The Doppler frequency signals were automatically converted to velocity data by a minicomputer. The accuracy of the duplex system in detecting and assessing stenoses graded in 20% increments is demonstrated according to specificity, sensitivity, and positive and negative predictive value by both cumulative and subgroup analyses. A 93.7% sensitivity was shown for minimal (0-20%) stenosis and 100% sensitivity for severe (greater than 60%) stenosis. An apparent limitation of duplex sonography is the differentiation of a high-grade stenosis from occlusion (sensitivity, 82.6%; positive predictive value, 90.4%).