Mammary sonography is the examination of the female breast by ultrasound. Here, a cross-sectional imaging procedure is used to look for benign and malignant changes in the breast tissue. Especially in the early detection of breast cancer, the procedure plays an important role.
What is breast ultrasonography?
Mammary sonography is the examination of the female breast by ultrasound. Mammary sonography, also called breast ultrasound, is a complementary examination to mammography. In the latter procedure, the breast is x-rayed to detect tumors. This results in radiation exposure, albeit very low, for the patient. It is also painful due to the squeezing of the breast. It is mainly used in women over 40. In younger women, sonography is used because their breast tissue is still very dense and therefore X-rays do not produce reliable images. Ultrasound is a procedure in which sound waves above the audible range are sent to a region of the body, in this case the breast. There they are reflected and then received at the point of transmission, where they are transformed into an optical image. On the basis of this, tissue changes become visible, which allow a statement about the benignity or malignancy at a very early stage. Ultrasound is used when structural changes in the mammary glands are suspected, for example, by palpation. The armpit is always examined as well, since the lymph nodes there are connected to the breast tissue. The examination is painless and gentle on the body.
Function, effect and goals
Mammary sonography is used in cancer screening. It is used to examine changes in breast tissue. It is used as primary screening when the woman’s breast tissue is still firm and the glands are therefore found close together. Also during pregnancy and breastfeeding, the use of ultrasound is considered the right choice, that there is no radiation exposure through it. Moreover, it can be easily supplemented after breast palpation. Menopause is considered to be a transitional moment for mammography, because then family planning is considered to be completed and skin tissue loses its firmness. As a result, the hit rate of mammography is higher.Unlike X-ray, breast ultrasound is a dynamic examination that is performed at best in the week after the period. At this time, the breast tissue is soft, which is conducive to the examination. After applying a transparent gel containing water, the breast is scanned several times and differently with the examination transducer. A slight pressure is applied, but it is not painful. In this way, the breast structure is revealed more thoroughly, as it is scanned several times through different movements. This is to exclude the possibility of a tumor hiding behind layers of skin and remaining undetected. The transition from the breast to the armpit is examined just as thoroughly, as the lymph nodes there may also be affected by a tumor. In addition to mammography, mammary sonography is used as secondary screening. If microcalcifications have appeared on the X-ray, this may be an indication of tumor-like developments. A subsequent ultrasound now clarifies the situation in more detail, as it is possible to distinguish more clearly between the individual layers of skin. Mammary sonography can be used for supplementary guidance during biopsies. If there is a suspicion of a tumor, a tissue sample can be taken with a hollow needle. With the help of sonography, the hit rate is increased because the needle can be inserted with pinpoint accuracy. This prevents faulty interventions. The tissue sample is then examined. It then allows a statement to be made about the benign or malignant nature of the tumor. This makes it easier to determine the further course of action.
Risks, side effects, and hazards
Despite the absence of radiation exposure, better visualization of skin structures, and painless application, mammasonography is still used less frequently than mammography. The latter procedure’s enforcement is due to less time required and easier analysis of images. Also, older sonographic devices do not have as high a resolution, which means that their potential cannot be fully exploited.The development of sonography has made a great leap forward, especially in recent years, so that the images can show the breast structure with greater differentiation of the gray scales. This means that the milk ducts in particular can be clearly shown, which mammography is not designed to do. Another problem with mammary sonography is the lack of guidelines for thorough examination. Thus, its quality is not assured and can vary from practice to practice as well as from device to device. In contrast to mammography, ultrasound is more costly, as up to one hour can be estimated for a thorough examination. Thus, due to a lack of equipment with more current models, ultrasound is too cursory. This can result in tissue changes not being detected until later. Mammography is easily covered by health insurance as a physician’s service. Mammography is performed throughout Germany using appropriate equipment and trained personnel. The situation is different with mammasonography. Here, not only the level of equipment varies, but also the level of training of the personnel. Thus, it is difficult for a patient to assess how thorough the examination was and thus to judge the significance of the results. Used correctly, neither method can detect all cancers. In this respect, it is only logical to use both if there is a suspicion in order to obtain the most thorough result possible.
