Doppler sonography of breast tumours.

BACKGROUND

Doppler sonography has been used in breast tumours mainly for differential diagnostic purposes. Since angiogenesis appears to be related to the patient's prognosis, Doppler sonography may also have prognostic implications.

CURRENT STATUS

CW Doppler was initially used, but is now obsolete. Contemporary studies are carried out using colour Doppler. Quantification of colour Doppler is not available on ultrasound platforms, but has been developed for off-line analysis by several investigators. Vascular density and flow velocities are found to be higher in malignant than in benign tumours. However, in some malignant lesions, flow may be undetectable. Though the actual role of the method in differential diagnosis is still controversial, it may improve diagnostic confidence when performed by an experienced examiner.

PERSPECTIVES

Future fields of application currently being explored include monitoring of preoperative chemotherapy and prognostic assessment. Developments in the field of contrast media and scanner technology may further improve the quantitative estimation of tumour blood flow.