DBT-galactography: a promising tool for improving the diagnostic workup of nipple discharge

Clinical Significance of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Galactography in Pre-operative Diagnosis of Patients With Pathologic Nipple Discharge

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the work described here was to investigate the feasibility and diagnostic value of using contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) galactography with SonoVue in patients with pathologic nipple discharge (PND).

METHODS

Twenty-eight patients who underwent breast surgery for PND from May 2019 to August 2021 were included. Routine ultrasound, ductoscopy and CEUS galactography were performed successively. Lesions were diagnosed and localized. The sensitivity, specificity and pre-operative localization value of each examination method were evaluated on post-operative pathology.

RESULTS

CEUS galactography was successfully conducted in all 28 patients and revealed negative ductal ectasia, filling stop and filling defect. Ductoscopy revealed positive nodules in 21 cases and negative nodules in 7 cases. A total of 18 nodules were found by routine ultrasound, and the relationship between all nodules and the discharge duct was confirmed after CEUS galactography. Compared with the other two methods, CEUS galactography had higher sensitivity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value (100%, 81.82% and 100%, respectively), while it has the same specificity as routine ultrasound (both 60%). The pre-operative location of the nipple duct was consistent with the intra-operative findings in 28 patients after CEUS galactography.

CONCLUSION

The ultrasound contrast agent SonoVue can be used for CEUS galactography in patients with PND. CEUS galactography can improve the detection of ductal nodules and locate the nipple discharge duct pre-operatively. As the technique does not emit radiation and SonoVue is easily metabolized and safe, CEUS galactography is better than conventional imaging for PND patients.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Evaluation of Nipple Discharge: 2022 Update

The type of nipple discharge dictates the appropriate imaging study. Physiologic nipple discharge is common and does not require diagnostic imaging. Pathologic nipple discharge in women, men, and transgender patients necessitates breast imaging. Evidence-based guidelines were used to evaluate breast imaging modalities for appropriateness based on patient age and gender. For an adult female or male 40 years of age or greater, mammography or digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is performed initially. Breast ultrasound is usually performed at the same time with rare exception. For males or females 30 to 39 years of age, mammography/DBT or breast ultrasound is performed based on institutional preference and individual patient considerations. For young women less than 30 years of age, ultrasound is performed first with mammography/DBT added if there are suspicious findings or if the patient is at elevated lifetime risk for developing breast cancer. There is a high incidence of breast cancer in males with pathologic discharge. Men 25 years and older should be evaluated using mammography/DBT and ultrasound added when indicted. In transfeminine (male-to-female) patients, mammography/DBT and ultrasound are useful due to the increased incidence of breast cancer. The ACR Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision process support the systematic analysis of the medical literature from peer-reviewed journals. Established methodology principles such as Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE are adapted to evaluate the evidence. The RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method User Manual provides the methodology to determine the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances in which peer-reviewed literature is lacking or equivocal, experts may be the primary evidentiary source available to formulate a recommendation.

Diagnostic performance of digital breast tomosynthesis in female patients with nipple discharge

Background

Nipple discharge is one of the most common symptoms related to the breast, but it is a presenting feature of breast cancer in 5%–12% of women.

Aims

The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic performance of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) in the evaluation of patients with nipple discharge and to compare it with mammography (MMG), ultrasound (US), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods and Results

This retrospective study included 53 patients with nipple discharge. All patients underwent DBT, and results were compared to MMG, breast US, and MRI. Radiological findings for each method were categorized according to BI‐RADS classification: categories 1–2 were considered negative and categories 3–5 positive. If a tissue specimen was obtained, the final diagnosis was established based on the results of histopathological analysis; otherwise, a clinical follow‐up was required for at least 2 years to confirm benign radiological findings. Measures of diagnostic accuracy of DBT, MMG, US, and MRI were calculated and compared.

Results

Final histopathological analysis revealed six malignant breast lesions, all of which were detected in patients with pathologic nipple discharge. DBT and MRI exhibited high sensitivity (100%) and high negative predictive value (100%) for the detection of breast cancer in patients with nipple discharge. DBT showed higher specificity compared to MRI (82.9% vs. 61.9%). Sensitivity and specificity of MMG were 83.3% and 76.6%, respectively. Breast US was determined to have a sensitivity of 66.7% and specificity of 57.5%.

Conclusion

DBT exhibited higher specificity than MRI at the same level of sensitivity and negative predictive value. Therefore, the use of DBT should be considered as an alternative to MRI in the assessment of patients with nipple discharge.

Evaluation of Breast Galactography Using Digital Breast Tomosynthesis: A Clinical Exploratory Study

Objectives: To compare the application value of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) and full-field digital mammography (FFDM) in breast galactography. Materials and Methods: A total of 128 patients with pathological nipple discharge (PND) were selected to undergo galactography. DBT and FFDM were performed for each patient after injecting the contrast agent; the radiation dose of DBT and FFDM was calculated, and the image quality was evaluated in consensus by two senior breast radiologists. Histopathologic data were found in 49 of the 128 patients. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) for both FFDM- and DBT-galactography were calculated using histopathologic results as a reference standard. Data were presented as percentages along with their 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: The average age of the 128 patients was 46.53 years. The average glandular dose (AGD) of DBT-galactography was slightly higher than that of FFDM-galactography (p < 0.001). DBT-galactography was 30.7% higher than FFDM-galactography in CC view, while DBT-galactography increased by 21.7% compared with FFDM-galactography in ML view. Regarding catheter anatomic distortion, structure detail, and overall image quality groups, DBT scores were higher than FFDM scores, and the differences were significant for all measures (p < 0.05). In 49 patients with pathological nipple discharge, we found that the DBT-galactography had higher sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV (93.3%, 75%, 97.7%, and 50%, respectively) than FFDM-galactography (91.1%, 50%, 95.3%, and 33.3%, respectively). Conclusions: Compared to FFDM-galactography, within the acceptable radiation dose range, DBT-galactography increases the sensitivity and specificity of lesion detection by improving the image quality, providing more confidence for the diagnosis of clinical ductal lesions.

Galactography Combined with Sonogalactography for Improving the Evaluation of Pathological Nipple Discharge

Diagnosing patients with pathological nipple discharge (PND) is controversial, and therefore a standardized diagnosis algorithm is needed. The objective of this study was to investigate the usefulness of galactography (GL) combined with sonogalactography (SGL) for the evaluation of PND patients. A retrospective study was conducted of 51 patients with PND who were evaluated with GL and SGL. The findings from the galactograms of the patients in this study were assigned to different categories of the Galactogram Image Classification System. Additionally, the sensitivity, specificity, and the positive predictive values and negative predictive values of the GL and SGL tests were calculated, considering the gold standard of pathology diagnosis. The results obtained show that GL combined with SGL improved the diagnostic efficiency of ductal lesions, especially for borderline and malignant lesions. Papilloma was diagnosed in 19 cases, and ductal carcinoma in situ in 8 patients. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in which the combination of GL and SGL improves the diagnostic efficiency of ductal lesions of patients with PND. A diagnosis algorithm is recommended for women with PND.