Accuracy of four ultrasonography techniques in predicting histopathological classification of canine mammary carcinomas

Abstract

Due to the importance of presurgical, noninvasive, and accurate diagnostic tools in mammary carcinoma characterization, this prospective secondary observational cohort study was designed to evaluate and compare the diagnostic accuracy of B-mode, Doppler, contrast enhancement ultrasonography, or acoustic radiation force impulse-elastography in identifying mammary carcinomas types with high degree of malignancy. A total of 246 mammary carcinomas from 141 female dogs were analyzed using B-mode, Doppler, contrast enhancement ultrasonography, and acoustic radiation force impulse ultrasonography prior to their histopathological classification according to types (simple, complex, or special) and grade (I, II, or III). Qualitative and quantitative variables were compared between carcinoma types and grades by Fisher's or analysis of variance. Diagnostic performance was estimated by receiver-operating characteristic analysis, using histopathological classification as a reference. Deformability (acoustic radiation force impulse) had a diagnostic specificity of 100% and sensitivity of 12% in identifying special carcinomas. A width:length ratio greater than 0.53 can be suggestive of special carcinoma, with 80% sensitivity and 76% specificity. Contrast wash-in and peak enhancement times lower than 7.5 and 13.5 s, respectively, were indicative of complex carcinoma at 62% sensitivity and 60% specificity. Contrast wash-in, peak enhancement, and wash-out times greater than 6.5, 12.5, and 64.5 s, respectively; were indicative of grade II and III carcinoma at 68% sensitivity and 62% specificity. In conclusion, B-mode ultrasonography, contrast enhancement ultrasonography, and acoustic radiation force impulse-elastography enabled the identification of some of the characteristics of high-grade mammary carcinoma types and grades in female dogs with limited accuracy. The findings from this study may contribute to oncology research and clinical management canine patients.

B-Mode and Doppler Ultrasonography in a Murine Model of Ehrlich Solid Carcinoma With Different Growth Patterns

“…Previous studies did not report differences in the definition of tumor contours between benign and malignant tumors ( 19 , 20 , 31 , 34 ), but a study showed differences between high- and low-grade tumors in human invasive ductal carcinoma where the group of neoplasms with higher grade had a higher proportion of undefined margins ( 32 ). In contrast, these differences were not found in canine mammary carcinomas ( 33 )…”

“…A higher prevalence of mixed echogenicity in malignant tumors was shown in earlier reports ( 20 , 31 ), but a study comparing different grades of a malignant neoplasm did not find differences between low and high grade ( 32 ). Echotexture differences were also not found among tumors of different grades ( 33 ). Another study showed a homogeneous hypoechoic aspect in mammary gland neoplastic lesions of small size ( 34 ).…”

Renal ultrasonographic shear-wave elastography and urinary procollagen type III amino-terminal propeptide in chronic kidney disease dogs

“…Ultrasonographic elastography has been employed to assist in early CKD diagnoses and in detecting renal fibrosis progression of humans [ 36 , 37 , 50 , 51 ]. In veterinary medicine, studies involving this technique have been continuously increasing; several studies have been published concerning the evaluation of normal kidneys in HD [ 43 , 52 ] and cats [ 53 ], canine mammary tumor predictions [ 54 , 55 ], and comparisons between benign and malignant lymph nodes in dogs and cats [ 56 ] However, the information about the renal elastography has been reported only in cats with CKD [ 32 ]. It has not been any previously reported in CKD dogs.…”

Advanced ultrasound techniques in small animal reproduction imaging

“…Some other studies of ARFI and shear wave elastography in dogs with mammary tumours have shown that elastographic values for malignant tumours were significantly higher compared to benign tissues, indicating that this may be a useful technique for determining benign from malignant mammary lesions (Feliciano et al, 2014(Feliciano et al, , 2018(Feliciano et al, , 2017Glińska-Suchocka et al, 2013). Canine foetal lungs and liver were studied with ARFI elastography during the final 5 days of intrauterine development (Rodrigues Simões et al,…”

“…On the other hand, ARFI elastography allowed malignancy prediction of canine mammary masses (Feliciano et al, 2017). It was also reported that B-mode ultrasonography, CEUS and ARFI elastography enabled the identification of some of the characteristics of high-grade mammary carcinoma types in female dogs with limited accuracy (Feliciano et al, 2018).…”