Fibroadenomas: computer-assisted quantitative evaluation of contrast-enhanced power Doppler features and correlation with histopathology

Abstract

We aimed to evaluate whether the histopathologic variability of fibroadenomas accounts for their varied appearance in contrast enhanced power Doppler (PD). Forty patients with fibroadenomas (aged 19 to 61 years) underwent power Doppler ultrasound (US) prior to and following IV bolus injection of a microbubble contrast agent. A 3-min computer-assisted assessment of the color pixel density (CPD) was used for objective evaluation of the increase in color Doppler signals. Enhancement characteristics were correlated to histopathologic features of microvessel density and epithelial hyperplasia, patient's age, tumor size, use of exogenous hormones and menopausal status. Epithelial hyperplasia was diagnosed in 19 patients. Compared to baseline values, patients with epithelial hyperplasia showed a significant increase in mean CPD following contrast media administration (p < 0.01). There was a significant correlation to patient's age (p < 0.0001) and tumor size (p < 0.0001), but not to the use of exogenous hormones and menopausal status. Microvessel counts did not show a significant correlation to CPD at baseline (p = 0.07) or with CPD on contrast enhanced PD (p = 0.13), or with patient age (p = 0.43) or tumor size (p = 0.34). Intratumoral epithelial hyperplasia, primarily occurring in young patients, may contribute to the differential diagnostic overlap in some fibroadenomas and thus limit the ability of PD to distinguish between benign and malignant masses on the basis of enhancement characteristics.