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

摘要

Doppler ultrasound and other imaging modalities have been used to assess characteristics of vasculature associated with malignant breast masses. 3D contrast refill imaging should help visualize slow-flow in small neo- vasculature associated with these masses. The dual-transducer method proposed should provide vascular mapping while minimizing acquisition time, the major limitation of techniques such as interval-imaging (I-I) and real-time (RT) imaging. Previous phantom tube-flow studies and fixed porcine kidney studies were further analyzed and formalized in two separate papers submitted to Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology. While results were promising, follow-up verification of the latter displayed some unexplainable anomalies. It has become clear that comparisons of mean transit time alone are insufficient. It is also apparent that input contrast signal levels vary in time in less than ideal ways (i.e. as opposed to our earlier assumption of exponential decay). We have begun to evaluate a method for estimating the signal level in 100% blood from characteristics of cumulative histograms of each acquired image. This should allow us a method to both monitor fluctuations of input contrast signal level and calculate a real value for fractional blood volume (and subsequently, combined with mean transit time estimates, an actual measure of perfusion).