Combination of shear-wave elastography and color Doppler: feasible method to avoid unnecessary breast excision of fibroepithelial lesions diagnosed by core needle biopsy

Background: We evaluated shear-wave elastography (SWE) and color Doppler ultrasonography (US) features for fibroepithelial lesions (FELs), and to evaluate their utility to differentiate fibroadenomas (FAs) and phyllodes tumors (PTs).
Methods: This retrospective study included 67 FELs pathologically confirmed (49 FAs, 18 PTs). B-mode US, SWE and color Doppler US were performed for each lesion. Mean elasticity (Emean), maximum elasticity (Emax), and vascularity were determined by SWE and Doppler US. Diagnostic performances were calculated to differentiate FAs and PTs. Equivocal FELs diagnosed by core needle biopsy (CNB) were further analyzed.
Results: Median Emean and Emax were significantly lower for FAs than PTs (Emean, 15.7 vs. 66.7 kPa; Emax, 21.0 vs. 76.7 kPa, P<0.01). Low vascularity (0-1 vessel flow) on color Doppler US were more frequent in FAs than in PTs (P<0.01). SWE showed significantly higher specificities (Emean >43.9 kPa, 89.8%; Emax >46.1 kPa, 79.6%) than B-m...