Optimizing visualization of breast microcalcifications

We combine our results from a series of clinical, experimental, and analytical studies to present comprehensive recommendations for the improved visualization of breast microcalcifications with ultrasound. Such improved visualization would extend the utility of breast ultrasound in guiding biopsy and in the differentiation of breast lesions, particularly in the mammographically dense breast. The in vivo clinical data used to inform our recommendations were collected with a Siemens Elegra scanner and 7.5 and 10 MHz probes, and include breast tissue backscatter measurements (N=16), channel-by-channel RF echo data from microcalcifications (N=7), and measurements of speckle statistics in breast tissues (N=16). Our measurements of speckle statistics suggest that echoes from these tissues do not exhibit fully-developed speckle (SNR=1.3-1.4 vs. 1.85 control, 1.91 theoretical). Imaging parameters considered include sound speed error, phase aberration, probe frequency, spatial resolution, and speckle reduction by compounding. We compare the relative impact of these parameters on visualization using, among other performance metrics, the area under the ROC curve. We identify the overall performance trends so demonstrated in the interest of guiding improvements in breast imaging with ultrasound.

[1]  M E Anderson,et al.  The detection of breast microcalcifications with medical ultrasound. , 1997, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[2]  G E Trahey,et al.  The direct estimation of sound speed using pulse-echo ultrasound. , 1998, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[3]  F. Dunn,et al.  Comprehensive compilation of empirical ultrasonic properties of mammalian tissues. , 1978, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[4]  A. R. Jackson,et al.  Pre-operative localization of breast microcalcification using high-frequency ultrasound. , 1997, Clinical radiology.

[5]  F. Foster,et al.  The Ultrasound Macroscope: Initial Studies of Breast Tissue , 1984 .

[6]  G.E. Trahey,et al.  Microcalcifications as elastic scatterers under ultrasound , 1998, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control.

[7]  G. E. Trahey,et al.  An in vivo breast tissue backscatter study with 7.5 MHz and 10 MHz probes , 1999, 1999 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium. Proceedings. International Symposium (Cat. No.99CH37027).

[8]  G E Trahey,et al.  The impact of sound speed errors on medical ultrasound imaging. , 2000, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[9]  G. Trahey,et al.  In Vivo Measurements of Ultrasonic Beam Distortion in the Breast , 1991 .

[10]  G.E. Trahey,et al.  Application of sound speed estimation and mapping to multi-layer media and in vivo data , 1998, 1998 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium. Proceedings (Cat. No. 98CH36102).

[11]  J. Jensen,et al.  Calculation of pressure fields from arbitrarily shaped, apodized, and excited ultrasound transducers , 1992, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control.

[12]  D C Sullivan,et al.  Two dimensional ultrasonic beam distortion in the breast: in vivo measurements and effects. , 1992, Ultrasonic imaging.

[13]  Butler Dl,et al.  Mammography and early breast cancer detection. , 1991 .

[14]  Gregg E. Trahey,et al.  Wavefront distortion measurements in the human breast , 1997, 1997 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium Proceedings. An International Symposium (Cat. No.97CH36118).

[15]  F. Dunn,et al.  Compilation of empirical ultrasonic properties of mammalian tissues. II. , 1980, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[16]  R C Waag,et al.  Measurement and correction of ultrasonic pulse distortion produced by the human breast. , 1995, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[17]  E. S. de Paredes,et al.  Mammographic and histologic correlations of microcalcifications. , 1990, Radiographics : a review publication of the Radiological Society of North America, Inc.

[18]  Gregg E. Trahey,et al.  Adaptive imaging in the breast , 1999, 1999 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium. Proceedings. International Symposium (Cat. No.99CH37027).