Histopathological and Ultrasound Correlation in Women Presenting with Breast Lumps in Yaoundé, Cameroon

Abstract

Context: Breast cancer is very deadly among women with higher rates in the developing world. Imaging tools such as ultrasound, can be used to differentiate between the types of breast lumps. This study aimed to determine the value of ultrasound as a first-line examination in the diagnosis of breast masses. Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of women presenting with breast lumps from November 2022 to June 2023 at the Yaounde General Hospital, which lasted seven months, from November 2022 to June 2023. The sampling was exhaustive and consecutive. Association between variables was studied using the x 2 test and concordance between ultrasound and histopathological findings was assessed using the Kappa correlation coefficient. Results: 234 women were included in the study. Their mean age was 46.3 ± 11.4 years. Overall, 15 (6.4%) lumps were benign while 219 (93.6%) were malignant. Triple negative (5.6%) was the most recurrent genomic classification. The correlation between the ultrasound and histopathological findings was significant, with an observed concordance rate at 85.1%, kappa = 0.322 and a p-value < 0.001. Conclusion: The performance of ultrasound in differentiating benign and malignant lesion was high. However, the discordant cases highlight the need for a diagnosis system which blends histopathological and radiological findings for an improved management of patients with breast lumps.

Evaluating the Role of Breast Ultrasound in Early Detection of Breast Cancer in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Comprehensive Narrative Review

“…Utilized as an adjunctive screening modality, breast ultrasonography has demonstrated notable advantages in identifying extra malignancies that may escape detection with mammography alone. Recent research has indicated substantial enhancements in overall sensitivity, hence decreasing the probability of undiscovered malignancies in women with thick breasts [ 17 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 ]. While one study suggests that the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound, compared to the histopathological results, are at 85.8%, and 73.3%, respectively [ 41 ], another study compared the accuracy of ultrasound and mammography in terms of lesion’s dimensions.…”

“…Recent research has indicated substantial enhancements in overall sensitivity, hence decreasing the probability of undiscovered malignancies in women with thick breasts [ 17 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 ]. While one study suggests that the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound, compared to the histopathological results, are at 85.8%, and 73.3%, respectively [ 41 ], another study compared the accuracy of ultrasound and mammography in terms of lesion’s dimensions. Thus, it was demonstrated that the specificity is higher for both of the methods (78.7% for mammography and 92.9% for ultrasound), when the lesion is between 1.1 and 2 cm, compared to the specificities for lesions smaller than 1 cm (65.2% for mammography and 85.1% for ultrasound [ 42 ].…”