Characterization of Breast Masses Using a New Method of Ultrasound Contrast Agent Imaging in 3D Mapping of Vascular Anomalies

Abstract

Doppler ultrasound and other imaging modalities have been used to assess characteristics of vasculature associated with malignant breast masses. Specific to our institution, promising results have been achieved in discriminating benign from malignant masses using Doppler vascularity measures in conjunction with ultrasound grayscale features. The purpose of this work is to develop an innovative dual-transducer method to control the destruction and imaging of ultrasound contrast during 3D ultrasound scanning of suspicious breast masses. This method, which involves sequential scanning and co-registration of image volumes acquired during contrast refill, should provide mapping of vascularity around these masses and highlight the associated anatomic variation in mean transit time. In the coming year, this new imaging scheme will be evaluated in a small patient population to begin to establish the refill characteristics for a variety of suspicious breast masses, and appropriate mathematical models will be developed to characterize contrast agent refilling,following destruction specific to the dual-transducer system. Experimental assessment of contrast agent life-span, destruction characteristics, and refill imaging has been undertaken in flow phantoms. A software system will be developed to visualize quantification of regional perfusion in and around the region of interest. Year one results are presented here.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2002
Accession Number
ADA412851

Entities

People

  • Gerald Lecarpentier

Organizations

  • University of Michigan

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Biomedical Research
  • Blood
  • Blood Flow
  • Blood Vessels
  • Breast Cancer
  • Department Of Defense
  • Flow Rate
  • Frequency Shift
  • Microvessels
  • Models
  • Neoplasms
  • Perfusion
  • Scanning
  • Steady State
  • Three Dimensional
  • Transducers
  • Ultrasounds

Fields of Study

  • Medicine
  • Physics

Readers

  • Medical Imaging.