Effectiveness of Quantitative Shear Wave Elastography for the Prediction of Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis

Figure 1

Shear wave elastography (SWE) and B-mode ultrasonography (BUS) images of a metastatic axillary lymph node from an invasive breast cancer in a 56-year-old women. Findings consistent with malignancy on BUS included loss of hilar fat and cortical heterogeneous echogenicity (lower image). SWE was performed for the lymph node and a Q-box is placed over the stiffest region, as assessed by visual inspection. A 2-mm-size circular region of interest was selected at the stiffest portion and elasticity scores of 42.5 kPa (E_max), 53.9 kPa (E_mean), 23.8 kPa (E_min), and 3.63 (E_mean-m)were obtained. E_max, maximal elasticity score of the lesion; E_mean, mean elasticity score of the lesion; E_min, minimal elasticity score of the lesion; E_mean-m, ratio of E_mean mean of the lesions divided by E_mean of surrounding muscles.