Automated breast ultrasound: Interobserver agreement, diagnostic value, and associated clinical factors of coronal-plane image features

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the interobserver agreement, diagnostic value, and associated clinical factors of automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) coronal features in differentiating breast lesions. Materials and Methods: This study enrolled 457 pathologically confirmed lesions in 387 female (age, 46.4 ± 10.3 years), including 377 masses and 80 non-mass lesions (NMLs). The unique coronal features, including retraction phenomenon, hyper- or hypoechoic rim (continuous or discontinuous), skipping sign, and white wall sign, were defined and recorded. The interobserver agreement on image type and coronal features was evaluated. Furthermore, clinical factors, including the lesion size, distance to the nipple or skin, palpability, and the histological grade were analyzed. Results: Among the 457 lesions, 296 were malignant and 161 were benign. The overall interobserver agreement for image type and all coronal features was moderate to good. For masses, the retraction phenomenon was significantly associated with malignancies (p < 0.001) and more frequently presented in small and superficial invasive carcinomas with a low histological grade (p = 0.027, 0.002, and < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, continuous hyper- or hypoechoic rims were predictive of benign masses (p < 0.001), whereas discontinuous rims were predictive of malignancies (p < 0.001). A hyperechoic rim was more commonly detected in masses more distant from the nipple (p = 0.027), and a hypoechoic rim was more frequently found in large superficial masses (p < 0.001 for both). For NMLs, the skipping sign was a predictor of malignancies (p = 0.040). Conclusion: The coronal plane of ABUS may provide useful diagnostic value for breast lesions.