Shear wave elastography as a supplemental tool in the assessment of unsuspicious axillary lymph nodes in patients undergoing breast ultrasound examination

• Verfasst von: Togawa, Riku [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Binder, Leah-Larissa [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Feißt, Manuel [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Barr, Richard G. [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Fastner, Sarah [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Gomez, Christina [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Hennigs, André [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Nees, Juliane [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Pfob, André [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Schäfgen, Benedikt [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Stieber, Anne [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Riedel, Fabian [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Heil, Jörg [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Golatta, Michael [VerfasserIn]
• Titel: Shear wave elastography as a supplemental tool in the assessment of unsuspicious axillary lymph nodes in patients undergoing breast ultrasound examination
• Verf.angabe: Riku Togawa, MD, Leah-Larissa Binder, Manuel Feisst, Richard G. Barr, MD, Sarah Fastner, MD, Christina Gomez, MD, André Hennigs, MD, Juliane Nees, MD, André Pfob, MD, Benedikt Schäfgen, MD, Anne Stieber, MD, Fabian Riedel, MD, Jörg Heil, MD, and Michael Golatta, MD
• E-Jahr: 2022
• Jahr: November 2022
• Umfang: 6 S.
• Fussnoten: Online veröffentlicht: 19. September 2022 ; Gesehen am 20.02.2023
• Titel Quelle: Enthalten in: BJR
• Ort Quelle: Bognor Regis : Wiley, 1928
• Jahr Quelle: 2022
• Band/Heft Quelle: 95(2022), 1139, Artikel-ID 20220372, Seite 1-6
• ISSN Quelle: 1748-880X
• DOI: doi:10.1259/bjr.20220372
• Datenträger: Online-Ressource
• Sprache: eng
• K10plus-PPN: 1837132631
• K10plus-PPN:
  Universitätsbibliothek
• Lokale URL UB: Zum Volltext

Abstract

Objectives: To define reference values for shear wave elastography (SWE) in unsuspicious axillary lymph nodes in patients undergoing breast ultrasound examination. Methods: In total, 177 clinically and sonographically unsuspicious axillary lymph nodes were prospectively evaluated with SWE using Virtual Touch Tissue Imaging Quantification (VTIQ) in 175 women. Mean values of tissue stiffness for axillary fatty tissue, lymph node cortex, and lymph node hilus were measured. Additionally, test-retest reliability of SWE in the assessment of axillary lymph node stiffness was evaluated by repeating each measurement three times. Results: In 177 axillary lymph nodes, the mean stiffness of lymph node cortex, hilus, and surrounding fatty tissue as quantified by SWE was 1.90 m/s (SD: 0.34 m/s), 2.02 m/s (SD: 0.37 m/s), and 1.75 m/s (SD: 0.38 m/s), respectively. The mean stiffness of cortex and hilus was significantly higher compared to fatty tissue (p < 0.0001). SWE demonstrated good test-retest reliability in the assessment of stiffness of the lymph node hilus, cortex, and the surrounding fatty tissue with an intraclass correlation of 0.79 (95% CI: 0.75; 0.83), 0.75 (95% CI: 0.70; 0.79), and 0.78 (95% CI: 0.74; 0.82), respectively, (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Reference values for SWE in unsuspicious axillary lymph nodes are determined. These results may help to better identify axillary lymph node metastasis for breast cancer patients when combined with other lymph node features. SWE is a reliable method for the objective quantification of tissue stiffness of axillary lymph nodes. Advances in knowledge: This study presents physiological reference values for tissue stiffness by examining the axillary lymph nodes with SWE in 175 women with sonomorphologically unsuspicious lymph nodes.