Objectives: In our study, we aimed to investigate the value of color duplex sonography (CDUS) in the discrimination of benign and malign breast masses.

Materials and Methods: A total of 53 patients aged 26-69 years who had breast masses in their mammography and/or ultrasound, were enrolled in the study. The presence of vascularity within the mass, localization of the vascular structures and the type of flow were determined with CDUS. In the patients who had flow, resistive index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI) values were measured. Histopathologic results of the masses were obtained with biopsies or operation results.

Results: In 28 of 31 patients (90.3%) who were suggested to have malign breast masses in their mammography and/or ultrasonography and subsequently supported histopathologically, vascularity was provided from the mass in the CDUS. The range of RI and PI values varied between 0.57 and 1.00 (mean value of RI: 0.74) and between 0.90 and 3.17 (mean value of PI: 1.48) respectively. In 11 of 22 (50%) breast masses which were found to be benign histologically, flow was present within these masses. RI values were between 0.50 and 0.86 (mean value of RI: 0.65), PI values were between 0.67 and 2.43 (mean value of PI: 1.10).

Conclusion: Arterial flow within the mass was detected in more patients with malign breast masses compared to the patients with benign masses. Significant difference was found between RI and PI values of the two groups. RI and PI values were increased in the malign group. ©2005, Fırat Üniversitesi, Tıp Fakültesi