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Novel technology of multimodal ultrasound tomography detects breast lesions

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Abstract

Objectives

To introduce a new three-dimensional (3D) diagnostic imaging technology, termed “multimodal ultrasonic tomography” (MUT), for the detection of breast cancer without ionising radiation or compression.

Methods

MUT performs 3D tomography of the pendulant breast in a water-bath using transmission ultrasound in a fixed-coordinate system. Specialised electronic hardware and signal processing algorithms are used to construct multimodal images for each coronal slice, corresponding to measurements of refractivity and frequency-dependent attenuation and dispersion. In-plane pixel size is 0.25 mm × 0.25 mm and the inter-slice interval can vary from 1 to 4 mm, depending on clinical requirements. MUT imaging was performed on 25 patients (“off-label” use for research purposes only), presenting lesions with sizes >10 mm. Histopathology of biopsy samples, obtained from all patients, were used to evaluate the MUT outcomes.

Results

All lesions (21 malignant and four benign) were clearly identified on the MUT images and correctly classified into benign and malignant based on their respective multimodal information. Malignant lesions generally exhibited higher values of refractivity and frequency-dependent attenuation and dispersion.

Conclusion

Initial clinical results confirmed the ability of MUT to detect and differentiate all suspicious lesions with sizes >10 mm discernible in mammograms of 25 female patients.

Key Points

• Technical advances in ultrasound offer new diagnostic opportunities in breast imaging

• 3D ultrasound can detect breast cancer without ionising radiation or compression

• Multimodal 3D ultrasound assesses acoustic refractivity, frequency-dependent attenuation and dispersion

• MUT can differentiate between benign and malignant breast lesions

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Abbreviations

MUT:

Multimodal ultrasound tomography

MMG:

X-ray mammogram

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Mastoscopia S.A. which has built the MUT clinical prototype.

M. Sofras and S. Hadjiagapis are employees of MastoScopia S.A., M. Orme collaborates with MastoScopia S.A and V. Marmarelis is the inventor of the subject technology and shareholder of MastoScopia.

The authors thankfully acknowledge the valuable support offered by the staff and facilities of the Breast Unit of the Propaedeutic Surgery Department of the School of Medicine of the University of Athens.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Breast Unit, 1st Department of Propaedeutic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    G. Zografos & P. Liakou

  2. Department of Radiology, Hippokration Hospital, Athens, Greece

    D. Koulocheri

  3. MastoScopia S.A, Athens, Greece

    M. Sofras, S. Hadjiagapis, M. Orme & V. Marmarelis

  4. Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA

    V. Marmarelis

Authors
  1. G. Zografos
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  2. D. Koulocheri
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  3. P. Liakou
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  4. M. Sofras
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  5. S. Hadjiagapis
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  6. M. Orme
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  7. V. Marmarelis
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to V. Marmarelis.

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Zografos, G., Koulocheri, D., Liakou, P. et al. Novel technology of multimodal ultrasound tomography detects breast lesions. Eur Radiol 23, 673–683 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-012-2659-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-012-2659-z

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