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Table 2 Frequency of BI-RADS sonographic descriptors and its correlation with benign versus malignant outcome

From: Breast cancer detection using sonography in women with mammographically dense breasts

BI-RADS sonographic descriptors

Frequency: n (%)

Malignant outcome: n (%)

Benign outcome: n (%)

P-Value

Shape

   

0.004

Oval

15 (13.9)

2 (13.3)

13 (86.7)

 

Round

50 (46.3)

25 (50.0)

25 (50.0)

 

Irregular

43 (39.8)

41 (95.4)

2 (4.6)

 

Orientation

   

0.001

Parallel to skin

67 (62)

13 (19.4)

54 (80.6)

 

Not parallel

41 (38)

40 (97.6)

1 (2.4)

 

Margin

   

<0.001

Circumscribed

53 (49.1)

5 (9.4)

48 (90.6)

 

Non circumscribed

55 (50.9)

52 (94.5)

3 (5.5)

 

Lesion boundary

   

0.004

Abrupt interface

80 (74.1)

53 (66.3)

27 (33.7)

 

Echogenic halo

28 (25.9)

26 (92.8)

2 (7.2)

 

Echo texture

   

0.448

Anechoic

14 (13.0)

7 (50.0)

7 (50.0)

 

Hypoechoic

74 (68.5)

53 (71.6)

21 (28.4)

 

Complex

17 (15.7)

16 (94.1)

1 (5.9)

 

Hyperechoic

3 (2.8)

0 (0.0)

3 (100)

 

Posterior acoustic feature

   

0.458

No posterior feature

40 (37.0)

24 (60.0)

16 (40.0)

 

Enhancement

32 (29.6)

21 (65.6)

11 (34.4)

 

Shadowing

18 (16.7)

17 (94.4)

1 (5.6)

 

Combined

18 (16.7)

16 (88.9)

2 (11.1)

 

Surrounding tissues

   

0.448

Normal

65 (60.2)

15 (23.1)

50 (76.9)

 

Architectural distortion

20 (18.5)

19 (95.0)

1 (5.0)

 

Skin thickening

11 (10.2)

7 (63.6)

4 (36.4)

 

Subcutaneous oedema

11 (10.2)

8 (72.7)

3 (27.3)

 

Nipple retraction

1 (0.9)

1 (100.0)

0 (0.0)

 

Calcification

   

0.406

Micro calcification

35 (32.4)

34 (97.1)

1 (2.9)

 

Macro calcification

2 (1.9)

2 (100.0)

0 (0.0)

 

No calcification

71 (65.7)

43 (60.6)

28 (39.4)

 

Lesion vascularity

   

0.002

Increased vascularity in mass

41 (37.9)

37 (90.2)

4 (9.8)

 

Avascular

56 (51.9)

29 (51.8)

27 (48.2)

 

Increased surrounding vascularity

11 (10.2)

9 (81.8)

2 (18.2)

 

Widest diameter of mass

   

NA

<1 cm

6 (5.6)

1 (16.7)

5 (83.3)

 

1-2.5 cm

44 (40.7)

27 (61.4)

17 (38.6)

 

>2.5 cm

58 (53.7)

52 (89.7)

6 (10.3)

 

Abnormal lymph nodes

   

NA

Present

73 (67.6)

60 (82.2)

13 (17.8)

 

Absent

35 (32.4)

19 (54.3)

16 (45.7)

 
  1. Note: Numbers in parentheses are percentages of each group.
  2. Frequency: Number of times this US feature was reported to be present.
  3. Malignant outcome = number of masses reported to have this feature that were considered malignant.
  4. Benign outcome = number of masses reported to have this feature that were benign.
  5. NA = Not applicable as the US feature is not a recognized BI-RADS descriptor according to ACR.