Women Imaging

Breast ultrasound is one of the four main methods for diagnosing breast diseases, together

with mammography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and image-guided needle biopsy.

Breast ultrasound is performed using a clinical ultrasound scanner using probes of 10–13Mhz.

Definite indications for breast ultrasound:

• Focal palpable abnormality.
• Mammographic abnormality which is not definitively benign..
• Breast lesion detected on MRI which is not definitively benign.
• Local staging of a known breast cancer.
• Single duct nipple discharge.
• Recent nipple inversion.
• Skin tether.
• Breast inflammation.
• To guide biopsy/drainage/localisation of a breast lesion.
• Follow-up of women receiving neo-adjuvant systemic therapy for breast cancer.
• First examination for any abnormality in pregnant/breastfeeding women.
• First examination for any abnormality in young women.

Assessing the axilla

Until recently, ultrasound of the ipsilateral axilla was routinely performed in all women suspected or proven to have invasive breast cancer.